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Storytelling Opens New Doors for Children with Disabilities​

Blinded and sighted children during storytelling in Ghana

Storytelling Opens New Doors for Children with Disabilities​

ANOPA works with children with disabilities in Ghana, including those who are hearing and visually impaired, fostering inclusion and empowerment.

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Storytelling Opens New Doors for Children with Disabilities

CPI is excited to share insights into our partnership with the ANOPA Project in Ghana, a sport-for-development organization dedicated to promoting education and inclusivity through sports – and now storytelling.

The ANOPA Project uses CPI’s storytelling method as a tool to include disabled children by creating an inclusive and adaptive educational environment that fosters emotional recovery, cultural connection, and cognitive development.

blind girl telling a story in Ghana
A visually impaired girl and a sighted girl tell their stories in a moving exchange of experiences during a CPI-ANOPA Project storytelling sessions.

ANOPA’s Focus

Making Sports and Education Accessible for All

ANOPA primarily works with children with disabilities, including those who are visually impaired, hearing impaired, and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Their mission is to ensure that every child has the opportunity to participate in sports and storytelling, promoting self-expression and community engagement.

Auntie Susan the storyteller
"Auntie Susan" engaging with the children after the story.
The charismatic Auntie Susan (Mrs. Susana Mariam Holdbrook) shared a captivating story about “Kweku Ananse,” a popular trickster featured in many oral and written Ghanaian tales

Ananse is typically depicted as a spider, although in some tales he takes on human characteristics.

ANOPA has been exploring innovative ways to integrate storytelling into its programs. After each sports activity, they gather the children to discuss what they learned, making it a natural transition into storytelling!

Storytelling and Sports?

“We initiated a storytelling pilot program using CPI’s method for about 15 children, held outdoors, which yielded fantastic results. Initially, we encouraged post-storytelling creativity through drawing, as per the manual, but we soon realized that this approach did not fully accommodate our visually impaired participants.”

~ Elsina Annang

Story to Drama

Blind girl gets a hug from another student during storytelling
Two girls embrace during an emotional moment when a blind girl shared her story.
To enhance inclusivity, ANOPA’s creative team member, Keziah Marboah, proposed incorporating drama, allowing visually impaired children to act while their sighted peers engaged in drawing. This blend of activities proved to be successful, with children enthusiastically volunteering for different roles, showcasing their creativity and engagement.

“As we progressed, we discovered that merging these activities worked even better. During our sessions, the children spontaneously volunteered to take on different roles, demonstrating their enthusiasm and engagement.”

~ Elsina Anneng, ANOPA Project
Children reinacting the story.

Emotional Impact

During ANOPA’s first session, the visually impaired children shared their personal experiences related to their disabilities and the challenges they face in their communities. The emotional moments that unfolded were truly heartwarming; some children expressed empathy by hugging their peers.
 
ANOPA discovered that while some children had accepted their disabilities, others were still grappling with their feelings. The storytelling platform allowed them to express themselves and support one another. ANOPA’s goal is to encourage acceptance among all children, helping them see beyond the label of disability and fostering empathy rather than mere sympathy for their peers.

Overcoming Language Barriers

Ghana is a country with many local languages, or dialects. “One of the challenges we faced was language, particularly in the Central Region of Ghana, where some children struggle to express themselves in English,” says Elsina. To ensure inclusivity, ANOPA recognized the need to allow all children the opportunity to participate, regardless of their language skills. This commitment to communication has helped bridge gaps and foster a sense of belonging among all participants.

Turning Stories into Plays

Boy playing injured during drama
Boy reinacting a scene from the story.
Storyteller Ghana
Auntie Susan who told the story about Ananse the cunning spider (and trickster).
CPI was deeply inspired by ANOPA’s courageous decision to replace the drawing-the-story activity with acting-out-the-story, ensuring that every child could participate, regardless of their abilities.
 
This incredible effort to promote inclusivity motivated us to reach out to our Drama Advisor, Zeynep Akgun from CPI Turkey, to adapt a story into a play. ANOPA selected the beloved tale of Ananse the Spider, a story rich with moral lessons and creativity. We are thrilled and can’t WAIT to see the video of the rehearsal and the final play, all performed outdoors with every child joyfully involved.
Link to ANOPA Project

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