by TQM reports,
The Albino Foundation( TAF) on Friday in Abuja organized a One-Day dialogue series on Change in Professional Career path of young men and women with disabilities.
This is part of TAF’s inclusion works project supported by Sightsavers, it geared towards assisting young men and women with disabilities who are secondary school graduates to have a sense of direction in their career path.
The founder/CEO, The Albino Foundation, and Convener, Disability Inclusion, Jake Epelle in his opening remark said that the focus of TAF in this project is to bring core professionals that will guide the participants to make the right choice of career while they go into institutional of learning. He advised them to seek God’s guidance in their choice of a career. He gave an analogy when he explains that every manufacturer have a purpose in mind in creating his product and it is only the manufacturer that can explain the purpose of creating a product. The product itself can not explain its purpose of creating, he said that God is our manufacturer and he is the only one that can explain the purpose of creating each one of us.
He believes that hubby can also lead us to our core purpose in life. He gave example of Williams sisters whom their father discovered their hubby of playing long tennis at tender age of 8, he encouraged them and today, they are superstars. A woman who loves to cook, can excel in operating a food joint. Someone who loves to write, can become a good author. Therefore following your hubby often times can help you discover your career path, make you fulfilled and enable you touch other people lives positively. He urged the participants to maximize the opportunity provided for them through this project.
While discovering the participants were using the wrong terminology in referring to themselves during introduction, he guided them on the use of right terminologies, putting themselves first before their disability, stop using “Living with” because their disability is only a condition not a disease.
The founder and Executive Director of The Qualitative Magazine (TQM) Mr. Chris Agbo Obiora while advising the participants told them that they are the ones that will determine what they will be in life. When they choose a career path, it is hardwork and dedication that they need to excel. Giving an example, he said that he become a good writer today through dedication, determination and hardwork. He urged them to do same when they choose a career path and they would be celebrated.
Abdulmumuni Ujah, National Coordinator, IDA and JONAPWD FCT, Chairman, in his speech urged the participants to listen attentively to their instructors. Speaking further, he told that the disability should not be a hindrance to what they want to be, saying that the barriers are the only problems they are facing and the barriers are removed, it would become easier for them excel in any of their chosen career. He wished them the best and urged them make effective use of the opportunity and put in practice what they learnt.
Damian Ivom, the program officer, TAF while explaining the essence of the project said that it is common seeing PWDs going into special education courses in the higher institutions, they will prefer to see PWDs going into some other professional courses. He told the participants that TAF have made arrangement for different professionals, doctors, lawyers, educationist etc to come and speak to them to enable understand and make a well informed career choice. By the time they are writing JAMB, they will choose courses of the choice not the ones their parents and relations thinks that it is best for them. Therefore, the whole essence of the programme is to have these professionals to help make well informed career choice they would be proud of and go to the higher institutions to study what we want and come out successfully.
Prof J. Y Maisamari, a professor of Counselling Psychology of University of Abuja to the participant Choosing a career path, he emphasized on the important of Guidance and Counselling in choice of career of young people. Saying that every school should have at least one guidance and counsellor but it is good to have as many as possible because their important can not be underestimated. He also informed that lack of proper guidance and counselling have lead to some students being confused in the higher institutions, changing from one courses to the other and some of them have spent so many years in school without graduating.
TQM learnt that the participants were drawn from different clusters of disability, persons with albinism, persons with physical disabilities, the Deaf etc and different professionals are expected to guide them to choose a career path as they prepare to write entrance examinations to higher institutions.
