Mary Dogbe, 39, had battled tumour in the eye for five years in a farming community called Abena Awia in the Okere District of the Eastern Region.
Due to poverty and weak social support systems in the country, Mary was left to die with the disease which protruded her right eye and worsened by the day. She was stigmatized in the community as having been punished by the gods for her evil deeds.
Not only did Mary go through excruciating pains, she also became economically inactive which made her more impoverished. She was abandoned by her husband who deserted the community. She lost friends and families as a result of her condition.
Mary however endured by working as labourer despite her condition for meagre income to take care of herself and her three(3) Children.
Mary’s condition reached a critical stage as fluid dripped from the affected eye as the disease was gradually spreading to the other eye. At this stage, she had lost hope in getting support to undertake eye surgery. Her only hope was in God to cure her to enable her take care of her little Children.
On April 11, 2016, while in her village dispirited, a nongovernmental Organization -As I Grow (AIG) spotted her during a visit to the community for a humanitarian exercise.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, Debrah Bekoe Isaac saddened by the worsening condition of the Mary, managed to raise some amount of money through support of some benevolent individuals and organizations. In 2017, Mary underwent successful surgery at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Through a donation by the Adenta Branch of The Church of Pentecost, Mary was given a seed capital of Gh500 which she used to start porridge business in her village in 2018.
Almost two years down the line, Mary has turned around the relatively meagre capital to make profit. Through savings, she has recently purchased a motorbike to be used for commercial transport business in the village.
“After my surgery, I challenged myself that sight is life so once through the NGO, I have my sight and the fact that they gave me seed capital, I needed to work harder to change my destiny. I have been selling porridge and bread and through little savings of my profit, I have managed to purchase a motorbike. My expectation is that I will expand my business and get a provision shop to take care of my children ”
The CEO of the NGO, Debrah Bekoe Isaac, was happy over the success story of Mary. He assured that the NGO will continue to offer her technical support to grow her business.
