My seven children have been reduced to farm labourers because there is no money for their education…A blind woman laments

Felicia Yusuf, a married woman with disability, a mother of eight children. She is blind though not born blind. A Ngas by tribe, from Dawaki District of Kanke local government of Plateau state. She grew up in Lagos with her aunty. She attended Army Children School for her primary education, from there, she went to Apapa High school, but could not finished, because her aunt whom she was staying with arranged and got her married to a man, who was also staying in Lagos, but he is from Bokkos Local government of Plateau state.

In this interview, she shared with TQM crew how she became blind and her challenges in life.

TQM: Can you tell us, how you became blind?

After we got married, I gave birth to two children, we then moved back to Bokkos in Plateau state. And I gave birth to twins. One of twin became sick, and I took the child to the Hospital but while in the hospital, I became sick to the point that I was admitted. When I was discharged, all of sudden I found out that I was losing my sight.

TQM: When you realized, you were losing your sight, did you seek medical attention?

Yes, some Optical Doctors came to Bokkos, I went to them and they gave me a referral letter to Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). I went to JUTH with my Husband and after examination, I was told, that, I have hypertension. Then, they recommended that I needed a rest in a quiet place, but instead of taking me to a quiet place, my husband took me home.  This is the history of the medical care I received. Today, I have been blind for twenty-six years.

TQM:  Where you able to go back to School again?

No.

TQM: What are you doing for a living?

I am not doing much apart from the music that I am into. Even though, I have not been active for some time now because of lack of finance.

TQM: How active where you before?

I have two albums to my credit, but, now I cannot afford the money to go back to the studio.

TQM: How much are we talking about here?

We are talking about between Two hundred to three hundred thousand Naira.

TQM: Have you ever received any assistance from anyplace?

In August last year, the Church where I worship  gave me the sum of ten thousand Naira.

TQM: If you have the opportunity to appeal to government officials and other private individuals.  What will your appeal be?

I don’t have anything to say to the government because, at all levels, the government don’t care about the blind persons or persons with disabilities, especially the government of Plateau State.  So what appeal will I make to them, I will rather stay at home with whatever problem I am facing.

TQM.  What about appeal to Individuals?

I would like assistance in favor of my children, my youngest child is fifteen years, and only one out of my eight children is in the University, the rest could not go beyond primary school because, we lack money and my husband is very old that he cannot take of us.  I also need assistance for myself so that, I would be able to achieve something in life.

TQM. Who is sponsoring your child in the University?

My cousin.

TQM.  What are your other children doing now?

They have been reduced to farm labourers.  We have farm ourselves, but we can’t afford the farm inputs do our own farm.

TQM:  Thank you for sharing your Story with us. We pray help comes your way soon and things gets better for you and the family.

Amen!. Thank you.