Patience Samuel Gumap is a lady with visual disability from Mangu local government of Plateau state. Her parents are retired teachers. She is from family of six.

This beautiful single lady was within one week of age when she had eyes problem which resulted into lost of sight when she was at the age of ten months, She have had eyes surgery to correct the the problem, as a result she gained partial sight up to 2011, when she lost her sight completely.

In an interview with Bulus Bala Izang and Joshua Yenle, she talked about her vocation, the need for government to come and assist, and her rights.

TQM. Were you privileged to have formal education?

Yes, l was. I went to School for the blind children Gindiri, here in Mangu local government of Plateau state. After that, l then went to Vocational training center for the blind, Zawan in Jos south local government of Plateau state. I also attended Center for the blind, lkeja in Lagos state.

TQM. What are doing for a living now?

I make liquid soap, Vaseline, bake cakes, chin chin and other flour products for sale.

TQM. Do people patronize your products, despite the fact that you are a person with visual disability?

The patronage is low, but l don’t think its because of my disability, but because, of the area l am staying in, its way outside Mangu town and generally market demand for any products are low.

TQM. What is the level of discrimination in your family and the community, as a result of your disability?

I don’t face any discrimination with these aspect of my life.

TQM. What about the abuse of your rights because of your disability, any experience?

Yes, l have experienced this. I use to operate a provision shop, some dishonest people, repeatedly come in the name of buying something, they will give me a certain money note and say its a higher denomination, which is not, and because, l cannot see, l end up parting with items and money in the name of giving them, a supposed change of their money. That is how lost that business.

TQM. What did you do with such people?

I did nothing, What could l have done? Its their words against mine. And l cannot prove my claim. I only get to discover the deception, after they have left and someone else come in much later.
I just leave everything in the hands of God.

TQM. Are you aware of Institutions that the governments have put in place to help protect the rights of persons with disabilities?

Yes, l am.

TQM. Can you mention the one at the state level?

Yes, in Plateau state, we have the Plateau state Disability Rights Commission.

TQM. Will you access these institutions, should you right be abused?

I think so.

TQM. As a lady with disability, what would be your appeal to the government or private individuals, in terms of assisting you?

I am calling for some financial assistance to increase my business and to rent a shop where l will be making and selling my products, it will go along way in increasing my income generation. Because, l am now doing everything at home and its not conducive.

TQM. Thank you for your time.

Linda Dakyel is a single lady with disability (physically Challenge) from Mangu local government of Plateau state. She became a person with disability when was one year six months old, as a result of sickness. So she grew up with disability.

She attended LGEA primary school Letting in Mangu and Government Secondary school Pankshin, in Pankshin local government of Plateau state which she completed in the year 2004. She could not go further than Secondary school, because of financial difficulty.

In a chat with our correspondent, Bulus Bala Izang which took place in a shop where she is working, she spoke on vocational skills and the need for government assistance for her to expand.

TQM. When you were in school, what was life like in terms of discrimination?

I was not all that lucky with most of my school mates, especially the females, though not all, but a good number of them, they were not friendly towards me, and when l request for assistance, even if they do assist me, it comes with some forms of mockery.

TQM. What have you been doing after you completed your Secondary school?

I learnt knitting, soap making and cake baking. And that is what l am doing for a living.

TQM. Where are you doing this business activity of yours?

A lady allowed me to be doing and selling my business products in her shop free. I am sharing the shop with her for now, until when God will bless me with my own shop.

TQM. What is preventing you from getting your own shop?

I don’t have the money to pay for shop rent.

TQM. Do people patronize your products, despite your disability?

Some people do but some don’t. Some see buying products, ( which l have made ) from me, or other persons with disability as a sign of bad omen.
For example, there was this lady that came to our shop wanting me to knit some sweater for her, after we finished the terms, l stood up to get something, and she noticed that l have disability. She said, l should not knit the sweater again and she left almost immediately.

That is even for clothes, not even something to eat, like the cakes l bake. For some of these reason of discrimination , l do very little of the baked products.

Her products

TQM. What about your Rights, have you experience the abuse of your rights because of your disability?

I am not sure of that.

TQM. Are you aware of the laws, that governments have put in place to protect the rights of persons with disabilities at the state and national levels?

Ans. No, l am not.

TQM. Have you enjoyed any grant or loan form either the government or private individuals to help finance your business?

No, l have not.

TQM. But have you ever applied for it?

Yes, l have applied, but l was not successful.

TQM. What would be your appeal to the government and other persons in the society?

I would need assistance to get my own shop, buy another functional knitting machine and to buy wools, so that, l can afford to make and display ready to pick sweaters, not just to wait for orders before l made them.

TQM. Thank you for your time.

Nangun Nimchak is girl with Albinism from Langtang North local government of Plateau state. She hailed from family of three children, two girls and a boy but she is the only child with Albinism.
She is a student of Special Center School in Langtang north. Presently, she is in Senior Secondary School class one (SS 1).

In a chat with our correspondent, Bulus Bala, Nangun spoke about her acceptance level as a person with albinism, her challenges and life aspiration.

TQM. As the only child with Albinism in your family, what is the level of your acceptance like?

My parents, my sister and my brother, they all accept me the way l am with love and care.

TQM. What about the community you are in?

Some people around me do laugh at me, that my skin is not good, some even say it to my face, that if l should cook food and give it to them, they would not eat such food.
Some of them don’t even want to sit near me. Worse of it all, even in church some people don’t want to sit near me, they keep their distance from me.

TQM. What are your sight challenges like in school and how have you been coping?

Yes I have poor sight, which makes me to be sitting at the front in my class. My teachers and class mates understand that, so they allowed me to sit where l can see the board better.

TQM. Who is paying for your education?

My parents are doing that, even though it has not been easy on them, because of their poor financial position.

TQM. What would you like to become in future after you school?

I would like to become a Medical Doctor.

TQM. What would you like to appeal to the government to do for you?

I would to appeal to the government to pay for my school fees, my parents are poor and l really would want to continue with education to University level.

TQM. Thank you Miss. Nangun, for granting us this interview.

Nankur Nimdom is a girl with Albinism from Langtang south local government of Plateau state. she is from a family of five Children, four of them are females and one is a male. She happens to be the only one with disability.
She attended Faith COCIN primary school for her primary education and her secondary education was at Graceland Model College all in Mabudi in Langtang south local of Plateau state. She completed her secondary education last year 2019 but she is hoping to continue with her education.

In an interview with our correspondent, Bulus Bala Izang, she spoke on the challenges faced by persons with albinism.

TQM. While you were in school, what are some of the challenges you faced as a person with Albinism?

Just the normal challenges persons with Albinism faced. I had and still have a challenge of seeing writings on the board and the sun that l have to face after school, when going back home.

TQM. How did you managed these challenges?

For the poor sight, l find a place at the front seats in class, even though, at first my classmates were against me sitting in the front, but with the help of our teachers, that explain things, that problem was resolved.
And for the sun, l wear protective clothes and sun hat, even with that, there is heat, Langtang south is hot in most part of the year.

TQM. What about discrimination at home and outside home?

I don’t face discrimination at home, but outside, most children and my age mates don’t want to relate positively with me, as a result I have few friends.

TQM. While in school, what is or are your favorite subjects’?

My favorite subjects are Chemistry and Physics.

TQM. You said earlier, you hope to continue with your education, which Institution would you like to attend and what course would you like to read?

I would like to read medicine in University of Jos.

TQM. We wish you the best in that.

Thank you.

TQM. What would be your call to parents that have child or children with Albinism?

My call to them is, they should embrace such children with love and care, because, children in all form, either with Albinism or any form of Disability, are a blessing from God. Parents of children with Albinism should not be letting or forcing them to do activities on the sun. Sun is not good for people with Albinism, it burn our skin and can even lead to skin cancer.

TQM. What would be your appeal to the government and the society?

My appeal is, when l gain admission, l should be help with a scholarship.

TQM. Thank you Miss. Nankur, and again, we wish you the very best in life.

Thank you.