The physically-challenged Ghanaian student aiming to push the frontiers of science

Everything about the somewhat misfortune Veronica Obenewaa lives with today, started at the age of seven.

She had just woken up from sleep when she noticed an unusually intense pain in her waist.

Thinking this was just something that would go away soon, she did not know that this pain would eventually leave her in a perpetual mobility-disabled state.

The disability, however, changed the trajectory of Veronica’s life, forcing her to keep to herself and stay indoors, although she often maintained an outgoing and cheerful outlook on life.

Years on, Veronica has to come to terms with her new reality. Along the way, she returned to school at the St. Louis Senior High School at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

During her time at the school, her quest to study General Science, although challenging, did not stop her from aspiring to be even more.

Her perseverance saw her become the protocol prefect of her school.

From secondary school, Veronica who is now 26-years-old went searching for a university that was disability-friendly. A friend then advised her to inquire about Ashesi University, one of Ghana’s prestigious private tertiary institutions.

Luck being on her side, she eventually gained admission into the university, where she now reads computer science, even as she aspires to become a cyber security analyst.

She expects this experience to lead her on a new learning curve.

As part of efforts to help Veronica navigate her way through campus, the university’s Financial Aid Office acquired a motorised wheelchair for her.

In her brief remarks about her journey, as captured on the school's Facebook page, Veronica shared, "I am always looking to improve myself as a person. That way, people would be forced to look beyond my disability and see my capabilities.”



MA