Yilpyen Zingfa, is a 13 years old girl with visual impairment. She is a pupil in primary six at Model Science Primary School, Mabudi in Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau state. She lives with her uncle and his wife and her parents are in their village with her five other siblings.
In a chat with our correspondents Joshua Yenle and Bulus Bala Izang when they visited the school in one of the tours of the local government area to ascertain the challenges persons with disabilities are facing within Plateau State, she revealed how her father do not believe that she should go to school.
TQM: Who pays for your education?
My mother
TQM: What about your father?
He doesn’t pay for my education.
TQM: Why do you think, he doesn’t pay for your education?
Because, l cannot see, he is not interested in my education
TQM: Does your father pay for the education of your other brothers and sisters?
Yes.
TQM: Does any of your brothers and sisters have disability?
Yes, my elder brother.
TQM: What type of disability does he have?
He is Blind (visual impaired)
TQM: Is he in school now?
He stopped Schooling.
TQM: Where was he schooling?
He was schooling at United Faith Tabernacle college, Jarawan Kogi.
TQM: Do you know why he stopped going to school?
Because, there is no money and the same attitude I am facing from my father
TQM: What is he doing now?
He is doing nothing?
TQM: What work do your parents do?
They are farmers.
TQM: Do you like your School?
Yes.
TQM: Where will like to go for your secondary school?
I would like to go to United Faith Tabernacle College, Jarawan Kogi, in Jos East local government.
TQM: What do you want to become in future after school?
I want to become a teacher.
TQM: Do you work at home?
Yes.
TQM: What kind of work do you do at home?
I do cook.
TQM: Do people or children do things to you, because you have visual impairment, that you don’t like? Can you tell us, what they do?
They usually touch me or pull my dress and keep quit or run away, and because, l cannot see, l won’t know who did it.
TQM: If a big man should come to your school today, what would you tell him to do for you?
I would tell him to give me money to pay my school fees.
TQM: Thank you for sharing your story with us
