Ghanaian Battles Back From Violent Street ....

...ATTACK TO ACHIEVE DEGREE SUCCESS

For Prosper Tsikata graduating from the University of Hull was a triumph greater than most.

Other students collecting their degrees smiled with pride during the ceremony at Hull City Hall earlier this month.

But during the length of the course, few students, if any, would have shared Prosper's horrifying experiences.

At 8.45am on Thursday, February 12, 2004, the 33-year-old was crippled in a violent attack, which he believes was racially motivated.

Prosper, from Ghana, had arrived in Hull six months earlier to study for his second degree.

He had been on his way to a lecture after working through the night at a factory.

"I was cycling to college. I had only had an hour or so sleep, but I promised myself I would never miss a lecture," he said.

"This man said 'look at the ******* black', and followed this with a torrent of racial abuse."

The man kept pace with him for a few yards, but dropped back.

As Prosper turned a corner, he realised he had forgotten some paperwork, and turned back.

A second later Prosper was lying in the road - his attacker had raised his leg and brought the force of his weight on to Prosper's kneecap.

What happened next left Prosper, a practicing Christian who has carried out work for the UN, in utter disbelief.

As his attacker loomed over him, and he laid in the road fearing for his life, he heard a car draw closer.

But instead of a good samaritan, the female driver wound down her window and shouted: "Get out of the road, I'm going to be late for work."

Prosper's attacker fled and despite his horrific injuries he limped to the lecture.

He later collapsed and was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary where he had several blood clots removed from his mangled left leg.

Doctors later discovered his kneecap had been shattered.

He was in hospital for seven days. When he came home he was wheelchair- bound. He can now walk.

"You cannot imagine how it feels (to be a victim of racism) until you come face-to-face with it," he said.

"I am a second-class citizen in this city.

"Before I came here I had only read about racism in books."

After months of depression, Prosper fell behind in his studies and course payments.

If it wasn't for an anonymous benefactor who paid off the outstanding ?2,000, the university would not have let him graduate.

Prosper does not know who paid off his debt. But he would like to thank them - it is his ticket out of Hull.