Sadau Suleiman Gambo (talban wase) is a person with visual impairment from yelwan -Shandam in Shandam local government of Plateau state. He was born into a family of twenty children but now only eight of them are alive, His father married three wives. He was not born with any form of disability, He became blind about ten years ago as a result of illness. He is married with eight children.
In this interview with our correspondents, Bulus Bala Izang and Joshua Yenle, he talked about how he carried on with his life after he lost his sight.
TQM. What work were you doing, before you lost your sight?
I was a truck driver.
TQM. When you were growing up, did you have the opportunity of going to school?
Yes, I schooled up to Secondary school. I attended Bauwas primary school in Kanam local government of Plateau state, then for my secondary secondary school, I started in Kanam local government, but completed in Government Secondary School, Juwan in Abuja.
TQM. After you became blind, what are you doing for a living?
I am working as an official of National Union of Raod Transport Workers of Yelwan- Shandam heavy truck branch 1. I was part of them long before l became blind.
TQM. How do you carry out your functions, considering you are a person with visual disability?
The people, the environment and the procedures are very familiar to me long before l became blind. Most of the NURTW officials and drivers are people that, l have worked with or even help to train when l was still having my sight. Fitting in or working with them becomes easier, l remain grateful to them for making my work easier, they are really a family.
TQM. Aside your engagement with NURTW, are you doing anything else?
I used to do a little farming, but for years now, l don’t have the money to give people to cultivate the farm for me. This have seriously affected feeding in my house.
TQM. When you lost your sight, do you face discrimination either at home or outside?
Yes, l face discrimination, especially within my family, my two wives made things very difficult for me, they could not accommodate my new condition. This even lead to my separation with the two of them. But now l have married another two wives.
TQM. Are your new wives persons with disabilities?
No.
TQM. When you were driving, was the truck your own?
I drove other people’s truck as well as my truck.
TQM. Are you still in possession of your truck?
No, I sold so many properties l owned in finding cure for my sight. Including the truck and a provision store that was having stock worth about two million naira.
TQM. Are your children schooling?
Yes they are. To me, education is very important. My first daughter is in senior secondary school class three (S.S. 3).
TQM. Who is paying for their education?
I am the one who is struggling to pay, but its not easy doing that, in fact, today some of my children were sent back home from school, because, l could not pay their fees. It is not that l don’t want to pay, it is just that l don’t have the money to pay but when l get money, l will pay the school fees.
TQM. What would be your open appeal for assistance to those reading your story?
Let use this opportunity to appeal to people to help me with the payment of my children’s school fees, and also l need money and other farm inputs to resume my farming.
TQM. Thank you sir for your time.
Thank you.
