Edward was given a camera to take pictures of his life – his work, his home, and the places in between. Here is his explanation of the pictures that he took.
[This picture] is from the old house where I was staying before. I don’t like the place because it’s a compound house, and because of my leg I find it difficult to get in my room. And the same time the bathroom. So when I got quarters which my workplace gave to me I was very happy; so that place I was there anyway, but that wasn’t feeling all that happy. […This picture is important to show because as] a disabled person or someone like my condition, when you stay there it’s difficult, because especially the toilet that you use, the whole compound use one toilet and I cannot squat. So I have to sit[…]. So I want to share it to people that if somebody is in that condition you should get him a separate area to stay that he will have his bathroom and toilet, and even how to get to the room should be easier for the person.
[This is a picture] of my wife’s new container. And we bought it from a sister, which cost us 4000 Ghana cedis. But we are now preparing to get some goods to sell. Goods like biscuits, drinks. And it’s close to a primary school. And at the same time two churches over there. And then that street a lot of people do pass there[…]. I want to show the container because I don’t want to be lazy. I don’t want my family to be lazy. We need to do something. It’s not always that we should demand from somebody. We should also do some things that we can earn something for ourself.
I showed the school [in a picture] because the school was where I attended primary school. That was in the 70s. So that’s why I took that picture too[…]. It’s like I’ve gone round to back, because […] right now my container is close to the school[…]. So I want to tell people that the world is just round; you can turn and come back to where you are. It’s like my old school, and then my container.
[And in this picture] is a clinic, a midwife outpost. Normally when I’m feeling pains in my leg, when I get to them they help me, they give me some tabs to take so that the pains will come down. So I like that point too, I like the place. I like the workers over there because they don’t look down on me.
[This is a picture of] my house. I have a small […] piece of land around the house. And I use it for farming because I cannot let the land be wasted. […] So I grow plantain, cassava, cocoyam[…]. And so that make me not all that lazy. Sometimes every weekend – Saturdays – I do work within the garden. And that also makes me happy[…]. Because that’s a lot of things which I don’t buy from the market. Something like the plantain the cassava, the palm fruit. I don’t buy it from the market […and] it helps to feed my family[…]. My father was a farmer, and I was trained as a farmer’s son. And I know how to farm. But it doesn’t mean that if i’m in this condition I shouldn’t do it, I can’t do it. The little that I can do, that’s what I’m trying to do.
[In this picture] those are my neighbours. Some are my classmates, others are my seniors. So sometimes when I want to feel happy I guess I go to them[…]. The nearby neighbours, the family likes my family[…]. They help, we also help them. Even they fetch water from us. My children go there to pray. Their children also come to my house. So we are good family, neighbours. So sometimes if we are leaving the house we just tell them we are not in so they can be watching our area for us[…]. And sometimes you see if you are in certain conditions like mine, it’s not all people who like to let you come closer to them. So those who miss me they are friends, I also like them.
I think that’s all. I wasn’t able to take my work place. Next time. I want to tell people that my life in Tafo is not all that bad. And I can’t say it’s 100 percent good, it’s 50-50. People in Tafo, some people like me, others don’t like me. It’s not everybody who likes somebody. So that one is 50-50 for me. But those who like me I like them too.
[…Also, it is] six years for me to be on retirement, and I bought a building plot[…]. So I want to put up a building because when I’m on retirement I have to move from the quarters; it’s for the workers, so I can’t stay there again. And with my condition I need to get a house because if I move from there and I’m not having a house that means I’m going to rent again from the compound house. So that’s my big challenge right now.
Focusing a Lens on Ability 