Oluwakemi’s life changed drastically after she turned blind at the age of 13. The world as she knew it changed and suddenly was not as easily approachable as she had thought. At the early stage of blindness, she experienced social exclusion which resulted in low self-esteem. Yet, her zeal to change the narrative led her to learn American sign language. In the process, she realized that due to socio-cultural circumstances women/girls with disabilities are often excluded from communal participation. Oluwakemi desires to bridge the gap through an empowerment program for women/girls with disabilities in Nigeria providing soft- as well as ICT-skills.
gateway to a brighter tomorrow
Aishat Mohammadu has spent 10 years of her life in denial of her blindness which struck her when she was barely 5 years old. At the age of 6, after several attempts to restore her sight, her father who is a commercial bus driver suddenly chased Aishat and her brothers away. His reason: “I don’t know where you got your disease! I am sure I didn’t offend any human so I should not have this curse placed under my roof”. The mother wept bitterly and so did her siblings who were barely 3 years old. They all moved out from the hut in Zamfara in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria and relocated to Kano where life wasn’t too Rosey either. The mother worked hard selling water and biscuits so she could take care of the children.
Many years later, when Aishat was 23, she was assisting her mum in her little shop, one of the customers enquired about her and asked why she wasn’t in school like her peers. Her mother burst out in tears and shared the history of what had happened. The young customer consoled the mother and promised to visit them again which he did. On his next visit, he explained the possibility for Aishat to get rehabilitation training in the city. Initially, Aishat was not really interested. Firstly, because there was a language barrier. Her understanding of the English language was limited, and secondly, she would be leaving her family to go to a place she had never been to. However, being eager to learn made her decide to take on this opportunity. Upon arrival at the Eagles inclusion club, she was welcomed by the coordinator of the center with the words “Ina kwana!” which immediately brought a smile to her face. Before Aishath’s mother returned home, she was told not to worry and that her daughter is in good hands.
Within a few weeks after her arrival at the hub, it was easy to make friends who came from different states within Nigeria, as they all had two things in common, being female and having a form of disability.
In June 2018, for the first time in her life, Aishat was placed in front of a desktop computer. When the PC started, a robotic sound came from the screen in front of her. Aishat panicked, thinking it was a danger alert. She was not used to computers, and initially, it was a bit of a challenge for her to understand the concept of a screen reader that could help her to navigate the computer. However, once she understood, within a few months she was able to confidently use a computer as well as a smartphone. Having found inclusion in a safe place where she could express herself without being discriminated, had raised her self-confidence significantly. Aishat is currently preparing herself for an exam to be admitted into the secondary school of her choice. Although, currently, she is concerned about what will happen next. Going back to school without having a computer system or phone to put to practice what she was taught in the center is going to be a challenge.
What is for sure is that having been at the Inclusion Hub has not only changed her mindset, it also has made her realize, that she has opportunities to take control of her own future.
Yes, the road ahead will certainly have many obstacles, but in Nigeria, there are many Aishats and I want to work with them. By providing exposure to mobility and orientation techniques, ICT skills, and by finding solutions that address the challenges they face, I wish to empower them to step into a brighter tomorrow.
