Amazing story of blind man who lives on digging wells

Weekly Trust found out that the blind well-digger has become a specialist of sorts when it comes to digging wells or pit toilets, as well as the rehabilitation or decommissioning of old ones. To that end, at different occasions, prospective customers seeking for his services have had to queue up to secure his expertise.   […]

Weekly Trust found out that the blind well-digger has become a specialist of sorts when it comes to digging wells or pit toilets, as well as the rehabilitation or decommissioning of old ones. To that end, at different occasions, prospective customers seeking for his services have had to queue up to secure his expertise.  

Isiyaku Bello, a native of the area and one of Dankado’s customers informed Weekly Trust that many residents insist their wells or toilets are dug or built by the blind man because his work is excellent that one hardly needs to review it. “Many people are initially sceptical to invite him to do a job, until in recent years when his expertise become apparent to people,” the respondent said.

Dankado himself told our correspondent that, so far, he has built or dug not less than five hundred wells and toilets and a large number of excavations which he admittedly found more dignifying.  “Ideally, a blind man like me shouldn’t go digging, considering the risk involved but that’s how Nigeria is. if I go to people’s houses asking for alms, I am sure for a whole day I may hardly make N200 to feed my family. But now I make two to three thousand naira (N2,000 -N3,000) and even more for excavation. I charge from fifteen to twenty thousand naira (N15,000-N20,000) for new work, from which I averagely spend one thousand naira daily to feed my family,” he said.

Weekly Trust gathered that the blind well-digger was not born completely sightless, but with one eye having problems. When he started work as a child labourer assisting in packing sand during construction work, he was in good condition. Subsequently, his sight worsened and soon affected both eyes. By then he had adopted digging as a business.

Dankado is now a regular in different homes and communities around Katsina local government and its environs.

Asking around, Weekly Trust found out that, despite his disability, Dankado is the most daring labourer, as his clients say. He enters many open wells that are publicly considered as no-go areas because of tales to do with mysticism and jinn. “My only close shaves are those with creatures like snakes and lizards,” he said, which his clients agreed he often removed with ease.

Dankado, who describes himself as a happy, engaged person said he resisted many a piece of advice to quit the trade due to his disability and old age. “No person or institution will support me to fend for my family,” he said.

Asked how he conducts his work, Dankado revealed that though he normally goes with his ten-year-old son Aliyu, he does all the work himself. “Since I have been in the trade for years, I have no problem knowing when I reach the water point. In fact, I built many wells with a stretch of 12 to 20 metres and didn’t come out until the water level in the well reaches my chest.”

On difficulties encountered, Dankado conceded to being engaged in a most dangerous job.  “Many of the wells are of different types. Some have steps built inside, some are straight built. At times I face difficulty in coming out because of steepness of steps or the slippery nature of well bottoms. In some exceptional cases, we must use special ropes to come out.”

Although totally blind, Lawal, who led our correspondent to some of the wells and toilets he had built, considered himself fulfilled, despite his lack of sight and old age. “My appeal is to every physically challenged person to think of what he can do to help himself, no matter what. God will help him, because the culture of begging is not only undignified but more tasking, especially when neither the government or wealthy individuals are not willing to help,” he said, smiling.