Godiya Neitlong is a twenty three years old, single person with visual impairment from Garkawa in Mikang local government of Plateau state. He is the only child of my late parents, He became blind when a robber accidentally hit his eye. He was thirteen years old when this happened and he has completed his primary school at that time.
In this interview with our correspondents, Bulus Izang and Joshua Yenle when they embarked on a trip to Mikang LGA as part of “Connecting our voices to the world” project supported by Oxfam Voice, he spoke about what happened after he lost his sight.
TQM. What were you doing with the robber that it hit your eye?
We were carrying grass in a cart to be used at home, I was pulling the robber to tie the grass with it, when it cut and hit my left eye.
TQM. Were you taken to hospital for medical assistance?
Yes, I was taken to a hospital in Mangu local government, but that did not help my condition. At first it was my left eye that was affected, later on the right eye also got affected as well.
TQM. Were you able to continue with your education after the lost of your sight?
I was not able to continue, because there is no one to stand for my education.
TQM. What do you do for a living?
I am not working, but I am keeping chickens and some ducks.
TQM. Apart from that, don’t you do other things like farming?
I have the farm land that I inherited, but I lack money to pay people to do the farming for me, and to buy fertilizer, farm lands here don’t yield much crops without the application of fertilizer.
TQM. Have you consider going to any Vocational training center for the blind, like the one in Zawan to learn one or two skills?
I don’t know about that place, but I would to be there so that I can learn something which I can be doing.
TQM. How do you get food to eat?
Some relations of mine are helping me with that.
TQM. Do people abuse your rights because of your disability?
Yes.
TQM. What do you do, to stop the continuation of such negative attitude?
I don’t do anything.
TQM. Don’t you report such issues to any known established authority?
No.
TQM. Why are you not reporting?
I want to be at peace with everybody.
TQM. Lastly, what kind of assistance would like the government and other members of community to give you?
I would like the government to take me to that center for the blind you talked about in Zawan, where I can learn some hand work.
TQM. Thank you for talking with us.
Thank to you.
