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Press Room: Persons for Interviews in Rome

A Patron Saint for Human Rights
CANONIZATION OF FATHER DAMIEN
Rome, 10-12 October 2009
Events
Programme		 Fr Damien Leprosy Resolution
Documents		 General

KOFI NYARKO

DIRECTOR OF A SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS; IDEA REPRESENTATIVE FOR GHANA, www.idealeprosydignity.org

ADDRESS IN ROME: CASA LA SALLE - Via Aurelia 472, Tel 06/666981 Fax 06/66000384

INTERVIEW LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

“I am now coming back from Bosomadwe, Vitoria’s hometown. And I was so impressed about how the community united and her entire family is supporting her so that she can just feel at home. They have given her so many responsibilities in the town. And the way people respect her, in fact I was really glad to see that. She also looks after her grandchildren and tells them stories. She also sells gari and she is able to sell about 59 to 63 cups a day. And she is so happy to go back home.”

Kofi Nyarko is a teacher and director of a school for children with special needs. He is also the IDEA Representative for Ghana, and a member of IDEA’s Board of Directors. He has established a grass roots program in his country to reunite people who had been living in segregated leprosy communities--some for up to 40 years--with their families. He has helped a total of 211 people return to their homes or a nearby village.

Through IDEA’s Expert Exchange program, Mr. Nyarko has traveled to Ethiopia, DR Congo, Kenya, and Mali to help establish new branches and provide consultation to existing branches. He has conducted oral history for IDEA in Ghana and Mali. Mr. Nyarko also testified before the United Nations Human Rights Sub-Commission in Geneva about human rights and leprosy, and has also traveled to the United States, India and South Africa on behalf of IDEA.

 

 

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