Aisha Abubakar is an 18years old lady with disability from a poor family background, mobility has always been an obstacles for her to participate among her peers and also go to school. Aisha stopped school because her parents can’t afford a wheelchair which will enable her go to school without assistance. This affected her psychologically and hampered her status a great deal within her community. Mobility constitutes the greatest challenge faced by persons with disabilities and as such requires contribution of all stakeholders, government, and philanthropists etc to tackle especially providing the mobility aids to the rural and uneducated persons with disabilities.
Last week on my way from Damaturu to Maiduguri, I met Aisha under hot sun crawling on all fours alone, sweating profusely because the temperature on that day was over 38 degrees. With tears in my eyes, I stopped and approached Aisha, on asking why she is crawling all around without wheel chair and why she is not in school at that hour? Her response left me shattered and emotionally disturbed with the question why would such young lady suffered so much for a condition that’s not her making?
As a leader of persons with disabilities in the state and country at large and having a first-hand experience on mobility challenge, I decided to assist; on my way back to Damaturu, I purchased a tricycle for Aisha with a token for the routine maintenance and also a token to assist her school go back to school. Aisha was so excited and she promised me to return to school the next day because lack of wheelchair was the only constraint stopping her from going to school.
I shared this story to ignite our generosity to have pity and empathy for persons with disabilities because PWDs desire and deserve much more in life. We must at individual; government and community level see persons with disabilities as key stakeholders who must be carried along to reach their peak, it is vital way to achieve total INCLUSION.
I have done my part, please find someone around you and do yours. There are many Aisha’s in our villages and towns that required simple assistance like wheel chair to keep them going and ultimately achieve their dreams. Please let’s support one another.
Comrade Mohammed Abba Isa , APC Zonal Disabled Leader, Northeast
