Okyeame Kwame shares dyslexia struggles, marks 50th birthday with health project

Ghanaian musician Okyeame Kwame has opened up about growing up with Dyslexia, revealing how the condition made learning difficult and shaped his early school life.

Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV’s Face to Face on April 7, the award-winning artiste recounted the emotional and academic challenges he faced as a child.

“When I was growing up I had Dyslexia and so learning was very difficult for me… I just wanted to finish school so I could take myself away from the abuse,” he said, describing experiences of ridicule, poor academic performance, and the psychological toll it took on him.

He also shared the impact it had on his family life, noting that his father, concerned about his academic struggles, encouraged strict discipline from teachers.

Despite these difficulties, Okyeame Kwame credited his mother for helping him discover his strength early through Akan poetry.

According to him, while he struggled in the classroom, his confidence grew whenever he performed publicly.

“Whenever I stood in public to recite my Akan poem, people came alive… I knew one day I was going to do something relating to oratory,” he said.

Now a celebrated figure in Ghana’s music industry, the artiste is also marking a major personal milestone as he turns 50 this April.

To commemorate the occasion, he has launched a legacy project—the construction of a paediatric emergency centre at the Manhyia District Hospital in Kumasi.

The initiative is aimed at improving emergency healthcare services for children and highlights his commitment to contributing to national development beyond music.