Renowned playwright and motivational speaker Uncle Ebo Whyte has shared a deeply personal story about how the death of his father almost brought his education to an end.
In an interview on The Career Trail program on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, he narrated that his educational journey began at South Suntreso SDA Primary School, where he spent six years.
From there, he moved on to South Suntreso LA Middle School, completing Form 1 through to Form 3.
“For my education, I started at South Suntreso SDA Primary School at 6 years. South Suntreso LA Middle School Form 1 to Form 3,” he stated.
Like every child completing Form 3 with hopes of continuing to secondary school, his father had a dream for him to attend Prempeh College, one of the country’s most prestigious schools.
However, everything changed with the sudden death of his father.
“My father had died the year before. So for me, my educational career was over,” he said.
“Before my father died, he had plans for me to go to Prempeh College. But he was dead, so that was gone,” he further highlighted.
He explained that his mother, facing financial hardship and raising five boys alone, had come up with a plan for his life.
“My mother came up with a very simple plan for my life. Finish Elementary Form 3. I take you to Suame Magazine and apprentice you to a ‘fitter’. You learn to become a fitter and then you help me to take care of your brothers,” he said.
Being the eldest of five boys and a self-described “pliable child,” he accepted the plan without protest, and as a result, when the time came for students to submit forms for the Common Entrance exams, he didn’t pick one up.
“I knew I was going to Suame Magazine and I didn’t need a Common Entrance exam to go there, so I didn’t even pick a form,” he emphasized.
Nevertheless, a pivotal moment came when his Elementary Form 3 teacher, Ms. Commey, challenged that bleak future.
“On the day the forms were due for submission, she looked through the forms that were submitted and then turned and looked at me and said, ‘James, where is yours?’ I broke down and started crying. So, my colleagues told her I had lost my father,” he recalled.
Seeing his plight, Ms. Commey urged him to take a form, pledging to cover the costs and support his secondary education.
“She said to me, ‘James, come for a form. I will pay for it, and if you pass, I will support you through secondary school,” he noted.
Grateful for her support, Uncle Ebo recounted how he entrusted Ms. Commey to select the best possible schools for him given the circumstances.
“So, I took the form, and since she had offered to help, I asked her to choose the schools for me. As a poor teacher with limited resources, she decided that boarding school was not an option. However, since she had a family home in Accra, she advised me to pick day schools there so I could live with her family. She selected Osu Presby, Christian Methodist, and another school for me,” he underlined.
Yet fate tested his resolve once more.
“By the time the results came, the fortunes of Miss Commey had changed. She had fallen seriously ill and had to leave Kumasi. We didn’t have her contact details, and even if we did, it would have been cruel to chase a woman who was fighting for her life,” he explained.
Despite the uncertainty, Uncle Ebo Whyte was among only three students in his entire school who passed the Common Entrance exam.
His success caught the attention of some community members, who urged his mother not to let his potential go to waste and to do everything possible to get him into secondary school.
“I was one of only three people in the entire school who passed the exam. So people went to my mother and told her, if he’s one of just three to pass, then whatever it takes, you must let him continue to secondary school,” he revealed.
“So women being resourceful, she decided to take up the challenge. She brought me to her cousin in Accra and told her cousin that your nephew has passed the exam but he needs a place to stay because it is a day school. I will pay for his expenses,” he added.
This support allowed Uncle Ebo Whyte to continue his education, and after completing secondary school, he worked for six years at SSNIT to earn some money.
Later, he continued to the University of Ghana, Legon, to pursue Statistics.
To this day, Uncle Ebo Whyte says he remains deeply grateful to Ms. Commey, the teacher whose unexpected act of kindness changed the trajectory of his life.
“I haven’t been able to make contact with her. But I always mention her name in the hope that if she is still alive, or if anyone knows her, I could reconnect. Because I owe that woman for the kind gesture she made,” he acknowledged.
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