USA / GHANA: One African's fight to change stigma towards disabled in his native country of Ghana documented in new film "Emmanuel's Gift"

Hollywood could not have found a more inspirational hero if they made one up. Filmmakers and twin sisters Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern realized this the minute they heard about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah and dedicated two years to following his life. The result of their efforts was a documentary film titled, "Emmanuel's Gift", and it tells the story of his incredible life and mission to change the mindset of his country attitude towards the disabled. He was born in Ghana, West Africa with a deformed right leg. Abandoned by his father and despised in his own country, it would have been easy for him to slip into a life of begging on the streets like many of Ghana's disabled population. Yeboah had other ideas. With the support of his mother he beat incredible odds to first attend school and then achieve the unthinkable - a 600 kilometre bike ride across his country. In Ghana, out of a population of 20 million people - two million are disabled. They are often outcasts from society and if they are not killed at birth they're abandoned on the streets. Yeboah is fighting the stigma. He promotes the message that the disabled can contribute to society and hopes to increase awareness through the film. "I want them to learn about how, disabled people too, we can change our nation, or our country, or in the world," said Yeboah. The Challenged Athletes Foundation which provided Yeboah with the equipment he needed for his bike ride in Africa, were impressed by the young man who wrote asking not for money but a bike. In 2002 they brought him to America to participate in a triathlon challenge and meet other disabled athletes like Jim MacLaren who is also features in "Emmanuel's Gift." While in America Yeboah made the decision to undergo an operation to amputate his deformed leg in order to have a prosthetic limb fitted. The prosthetic limb enabled Yeboah to stand on two feet for the first time in his life without using crutches. This encouraged him to further promote the strengths of the disabled and change attitudes in his homeland. Nike presented him with an award of 25 thousand in U.S. dollars which he has put towards development projects in Ghana. Yeboah's courage to ride across his country with only one leg transformed his life. "I used my one leg to ride 56 miles, in my country, and I get a lot of publicity, and since from then I said - wow, I have to continue to do this," he said. "This I can do to change some dispossessed in my country, so when I continue to do this, I believe that, in the near future I can do a lot of things. So, my bike ride I did first time in my country, has changed so many things in my life." October Yeboah came to America in October to help promote "Emmanuel's Gift" and participate in an outreach project in New Jersey's Dwight Englewood School. With filmmakers Lisa Lax and Nancy Sternby his side, he spoke to students about life back home for the disabled. Nancy Stern who co-produced and directed the project spoke of her admiration for Yeboah and his unbeatable spirit. "I think, I think it's simple. What makes Emmanuel so special is that he simply does not know the meaning of the word no," she said. "He just keeps moving forward, he never lets anyone get the best of him. He has these ideas, they are really big ideas and he just goes for it" Yeboah continues to fight for disabled rights in Ghana, and while there is still a long way to go, he has already done much to change the stigma that plagues a shocking 10 percent of the country. He still hopes to see a Disability Bill passed soon by Ghana's government to protect and promote disabled interests. In the meantime he is working towards building a sports centre staffed by the disabled and forming a paraplegic Ghanaian basketball team for Beijing's 2008 Olympics. "Emmanuel's Gift" was released in selected cities in October.

ITN Source | November 10, 2005

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