Laraba Yohanna popularly known and called Ngem, a woman with Physical disability from Riyom local government of Plateau State. A proud mother with a daughter. She became a person with disability when she was twelve years old. Along with some other girls, she went to the river to bath after that, she came back home and had fever that lead to her disability, she lost the effective use of her legs and her father died shortly after that.
In this interview conducted by Bulus Bala Izang and Joshua Yenle, she talked about her challenges as a woman with disability having lost her father at a tender age.
TQM. What is your educational background like?
Ans. I attended EKAN primary school Rim and Government Secondary School Rim all in Riyom local government area of plateau state. I however did not pay and sit for my secondary school final examination. It is because, my uncle who was sponsoring my education from primary to secondary school up to the point of almost finishing stopped, I understood that his wife was quarreling with him for sponsoring my education and he had to stop for peace to reign. She was saying that I am a woman who will one day get married and only my husband’s house will benefit from my achievements in life. That was how I became a secondary school dropout.
TQM. Have you experience discrimination as lady with disability?
Ans. yes, I fall in love with a man and we got married, but his mother insist that he should divorce me and marry a girl without disability, he did not comply at first, but when the pressure became too much, he divorced me. I was pregnant at that time; I later gave birth to a daughter.
Our father died and left behind many goats and farmlands, which his brother shared among themselves and left us with nothing because we are all girls. We could not do anything, because our culture does not permit female children to have inheritance.
TQM. Have you marry again after your first marriage ended or are you still single?
Ans. Much later, I got married to another man, but we are yet to be blessed with the fruit of the womb.
TQM. you could not complete your secondary education, what about your daughter, is she schooling?
Ans. She did not have the care to complete her secondary school also, she later got married and was with four children when her husband was killed in a crisis. She is now a widow with four children to care and provided for, with me being her major support.
TQM. What work are doing for a living?
Ans. I was selling Kunu and keep a little poultry, but now I cook and sales vegetables. And when I have money, I pay people to cultivate farmland for me to support my income.
TQM. Have you had any assistance from anywhere to do your business as person with disability?
Ans. No sir.
TQM. What then is your call for assistance to the public and to the government as well?
Ans. I would need members of the public to help with money to restart my small poultry. I would need fifty thousand naira (N. 50,000.00) to start, because after hawking my cooked vegetable for sales, I have pains in my legs at the end of each day.
TQM. Thank you for sharing your time and life’s story with us.
