Haketa in Togo

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“I’m so proud to go to school”

Haketa is an 11-year-old girl from Togo and is paraplegic as a result of contracting poliomyelitis. Thanks to a project that helps include disabled children into mainstream education, she is slowly able to resume a normal life.

Despite wanting to be like all the other children, Haketa's paraplegia has prevented her from going to school. Following the death of her father, her mother Afi also had to assume sole responsibility for the family.  Her lowly income only just manages to provide support for her children. “I must feed my family first,” she explained.

Yet, during a disability awareness meeting organised by Handicap International, Afi realised that her daughter’s education was imperative, a way of combating isolation and enhance her participation in society.

From then on, a process of change began: a project promoting the inclusion of disabled children into mainstream education is developed with the help of Afi, the Federation of Disabled People's Organisations in Togo (FETAPH) and Handicap International.

Haketa also visited one of the orthopaedic centres supported by our organisation to get her legs assessed. Unfortunately the orthopaedic project leader judged her legs to be too weak. It would be impossible to fit a prosthesis. Instead, she was given her first wheelchair. Thanks to this, the little girl has now rediscovered her environment and she can finally go to school.

Haketa takes great pride in knowing that only now that she is mobile, can she at long last live an active life. Thanks to a project involving her family and our team, Haketa no longer feels isolated.

Read more about our work in Togo.