Maimuna Abdulahi is a widow with blindness and a mother of three children from Wase Local government of Plateau State. She became blind as a result of accidentally hitting her eyes at the door, about fifteen years ago, from that time, her vision continued to diminish to this point that she can no longer see.
In a chat with our correspondents Bulus Bala Izang an Joshua Yenle, on a working visit to Wase LGA as part of our Oxfam Voice project (Connecting Our Voices To The World), she spoke about her life challenges and need to be assisted to be self reliance.
TQM. Was Maimuna privileged to have formal education?
I did only did primary school at LGEA Kuyan Banna Primary School Wase.
TQM. Why could you not go beyond Primary School education?
My parents were not able to send me to secondary School because of financial difficulty.
TQM. What work are you doing?
I was engaged in petty trading, but being a widow and the major hand that is proving for the family, domestic demand and needs have rundown the weak based business.
I am now, learning beads making at National Association for the Blind skills acquisition center here in Wase.
TQM. Who is paying for the training?
The training is free, all l do is to pay for my cost of transportation to and from the training center, which have not been easy.
TQM. What about your children’s education?
All the three of them are schooling, one is secondary School, the second one just finished his primary School, while the youngest is in Primary School.
TQM. Who pays for their education?
Me and my mother, she is helping me a lot, not just with my children’s education, but in so many aspects of life, especially feeding.
TQM. Do people discriminate against you because of your disability?
No.
TQM. What form of assistance have you received from the government or members of your community?
I have not received any assistance from the government.
TQM. What then, would be your personal call to the government and other members of the society for assistance?
The government and other members of the society, should first help me with food and the payment of my children’s School fees. And if possible, some money to continue with my trading.
TQM. Thank you for sharing your story with us. TQM, is wishing you the best of luck.
Thank you.
