Ghanaian Autism Advocate, Afi Antonio Speaks with CGTN Africa

With the rising advocacy about conditions of people living with Autism, Ghanaian lead advocate Afi Antonio, who has courted the audience of global media on autism in the past has been speaking to the China Global Television Network (CTGN).

In an exclusive interaction with CGTN's Nabil Ahmed Rufai, Afi Antonio who is a multiple award-winning Model and founder of the Afi Antonio Foundation, spoke about her passion and the reason she advocates for people with autism.

Through her work with autistic children, some have become professional beaders, models, painters and others involved in other professions. Currently, 3 of her girls are able to model bags, shoes and dresses as photo models. Her youngest model, Yacoba was recently contracted to be the face of Earth Gold Skin & Beauty products sheabutter body cream after works with Verna Natural Mineral Water.

It is estimated that 1 in 87 children under the age of 3 are affected by autism that begins early in childhood and lasts throughout a person's life. In Ghana, stigma continues to make it difficult for people living with the condition to partake in society.

As an advocate, Afi together with her team have been calling for better inclusion in order to fight stigma attached to the condition.

Afi Antonio added that she believes if the above is done, stigma will be a thing of the past and parents will feel comfortable taking their children out without worrying about being mocked at.

Autism is a developmental disorder of variable severity that is characterized by difficulty in social interaction and communication and by restricted or repetitive patterns of thought and behaviour.