“Agoo!” “Amee!”
Guest speaker Mrs. Gertrude Fefoame shared her journey with us through traditional Ghanaian storytelling. In a call-and-response style, Fefoame chanted:
“Agoo” means “to pay attention or listen up.”
And we, the eager Witness Tree family, responded “Amee!” which means “You have my attention.” Ms. Fefoame’s story is one faced with obstacles but ends with inspiration and hope.
As a young child, Fefoame started to slowly lose her eyesight...she could not see the board. Advised by her teacher to tell her mom, her mom acted quickly to get glasses. But as she got older, her eyesight slowly started to deteriorate further to the point where doctors informed her and her family that there were no more glasses to help her see.
Determined, Fefoame was resourceful. She used a variety of methods with the help of family, friends, and teachers to continue learning. At one point using a magnifying glass to help her read and at other times she orally completed her exam.
She ended up going earning a diploma in special needs education for visually impaired persons. Despite her satisfaction with the school, there was stigmatization and discrimination about disabilities and special education. Nevertheless, Fefoame persevered to the point that today she continues to be an advocate for gender and disability rights and the Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Fefoame is the first African woman to hold this position.
In addition to this story of hope, we were gifted and taught how Ghanaian storytelling and music can transform a story, and engage the listeners in a kinesthetic manner. For me this was an ancestral reminder as well as an educational tool.
By Rogene Reid, (she/her/hers)
School Administrator with Toronto District School Board and
Additional Qualification Instructor at Lakehead University