The Upper East Regional Minister, Tangoba Abayage and the Municipal Chief Executive(MCE) of the Kasena-Nankana Municipal Assembly, William Aduum, have extended some support to Aduni Achana the visually-impaired farmer in the area who lost his two-acre rice farm to bushfire last week.

The support included food items such as bags of rice and beans, cooking oil, tin tomatoes, and canned fish. The others were buckets, bars of soap, packets of washing powder and an undisclosed amount of money.

The personal support of the Minister and the MCE comes after Journalist Senyalah Castro reported how bushfire ravaged the entire rice farm of the old man –tuning everything including a large waterproof canvas tarpaulin, some wellington boots, and aluminium basins into ashes.

The misfortune was caused by a bushfire that had spread into the rice farm from a nearby bush. It completely burnt heaps of rice that had been gathered on the farm for threshing, leaving Mr Achana who was on the farm that day with his life and nothing to take home – nothing to feed his family and to support his farming next season.

Presenting the items to the farmer Tuesday, Mr Aduum mentioned that the donation is to support the farmer and his family while authorities work to find permanent solutions to his plight.

Noting the hurdles that come with living with a disability, Mr Aduum praised the farmer for defying the odds to engage in a farming activity that requires the ability to see. The MCE was particularly impressed by how Mr Achana was able to specialize in what is deemed a sole preserve of those with eyesight.

The Chief Executive visited the rice farm and encouraged the farmer not to allow the misfortune deter him from rice cultivation, assuring that he and the minister will provide the seeds, fertilizer and everything needed to support him get back on track next farming season.

He added that the Municipal Assembly will tackle the bushfire menace in the area to avert future occurrence such as what befell Mr Achana. He cautioned the village folk who sat with Mr Achana at the time of his visit against it.

Mr Aduum later thanked and appealed to the family to continuously accord the blind old man the needed support with his farm work to maximize his production.

“The news of your farm getting burnt is very bad and we didn’t receive it lightly. Our attention was drawn to it on Saturday and we are not happy you have to suffer such pain looking at how you have suffered on that farm for the past three months. So our mother, the regional minister has sent us, after hearing the news, to bring you these items to support you while we see what we can do about your situation”

“We know the fire has destroyed everything on the farm such that you have nothing to support your farming next season. We will help you with some fertilizer, seeds and some of the other important things to enable you farm next season,” Mr Aduum assured.