In Borno, cripples have created hope in disability

Among them, those who come from wealthy parental backgrounds, scale the hurdle through adequate support while those from the less to do families end on the streets as beggars in order to get just what to eat without a plan for the future. Unlike in other parts of the world where there are adequate support, […]

Among them, those who come from wealthy parental backgrounds, scale the hurdle through adequate support while those from the less to do families end on the streets as beggars in order to get just what to eat without a plan for the future.

Unlike in other parts of the world where there are adequate support, people living with disabilities in Nigeria pass through turbulent moments in virtually all what they do.

Statistics have shown that out of the 150,000 million Nigerians, about 20,000,000 million of them are living with one form of disability or the other.

However, some of this ‘disadvantaged’ Nigerians have equally challenged their predicaments and are pursuing better life for themselves and even moving ahead to become role models of hope and encouragement to others.

Through hard work and dedication, they inspire others with similar chllenges to live a normal life, full of hope and happiness.

In Borno State for instance, poliomyelitis had crippled many children in the last decades. While some had died long ago because of complications, others have survived even though they are living in distress and pains.

In November, 2010, a new wild polio virus case was confirmed in the state after an investigation on a paralysed four-year-old boy in Bolori 11 Ward of Maiduguri Local Government Area.

Officials of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), said the case was the fourth Type 1 wild poliovirus case in Borno and the 11th case of wild polio virus in Nigeria in 2010.

NPHCDA Executive Director, Dr Muhammad Ali Pate, said a lot has been achieved especially when we compare the latest statistics with the 388 cases recorded in 2009 in the country.

Experts say with the way things are being handled, the issue of polio will become a matter of the past very soon. “The polio vaccines will be delivered house-to-house during campaigns and families will also benefit from additional vaccinations, de-worming, ante-natal care and other health promotion activities,” Dr Pate said.

The success story, especially in Borno, is quite revealing and encouraging because the advocates of wiping the polio out include the victims themselves.

Among them is Adama Yerima Balla, a 37 year old woman who suffers from what doctors call “severe disability”.

Despite her disability, Adama has strived and conquered visible challenges and acquired many degrees and certificates and gone ahead to inspire those with similar disability to do same.

Along with others, she has been propagating the need for parents to avail their children for routine immunization.

“I became a victim of poliomyelitis at the age of 15 months but that did not discourage me from confronting the challenges of life,” Adama recalled.

“Despite my incapacitation, my mother took me to school so that l can learn how to speak and write. Of course, she wondered how I will cope because I hadsevere disability which demanded that I must have some people to do virtually everything for me.

“As God pleases, my grandmother who happened to be my namesake, volunteered to be taking me to school every day and that was the beginning of my educational carrier,” Adama said.

She said since her early days in school, she had the zeal to help people with disability like herself.

“This is what prompted me to establish Zadaya Poliomyelitis Association of Nigeria, Borno State since 2005,” Adama said.

She said the association partly sensitizes polio survivors towards self reliance by strengthening their psyche, encouraging parents, governments and individuals to support the polio survivors.

“The association also engages in sensitization activities that enlighten parents to accept immunization and strengthen routine immunization which is the only way to eradicate the six child killer diseases in order to secure the future of Nigerian children,” she noted.

On how she is funding her activities, Adama said she has been soliciting for funds since 2005 from NPHCDA, WHO and UNICEF.

“The last activity I organized was in August 2010, which was sponsored by NPHCDA. I equally solicited funds from Dr Shettima Ali Monguno, who gave two million naira which we used in the establishment of Zara Ali Monguno Metal Workshop for Polio Survivors which has been in my custody since 2007,” she said.

She said anyone who graduates from the centre automatically becomes self reliant and therefore, faraway from begging or remaining as a liability.

She said on wheelchairs, she and some of her members have toured all the local government areas of Borno State for Community Dialogue towards the eradication of polio.

On what gives her the courage to be involved in community mobilization, Adama said she believes that if the disable should be given the chance, he or she can achieve what able bodied people can achieve.

“On my wheel, I attended many schools. After Mini Haha School, I went to Central Primary School, Potiskum; then Federal Government Girls College Potiskum, then Kwari Computer Academy, Maiduguri, where I obtained a diploma in computer; then Federal College of Education (Tech) Potiskum, Yobe State, where I obtained an NCE in accounting in 1997.

“In 2008, I completed my BSc degree in Business Education and capped it all with a masters degree in Industrial and Labour Relations from the University of Maiduguri,”

At present, Adama teaches at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Federal Government College, Maiduguri.

“Because I am on wheelchair, I use a lot of teaching aids and illustrations to teach my students. I also dictate notes to them or ask the students that have good handwriting to write on the chalkboard,” she said.

She observed that people with disability in Nigeria have great talents, determination and courage and some have achieved a lot.

“Unfortunately, most of the achievements go unnoticed because of the attitude of the society towards us,” she said.

While speaking on the challenges of assisting the disabled in order to have a better life, Adama said some people in the society use her contemporaries as a conduit to get money from corporate organisations and wealthy individuals in order to enrich  themselves without helping the targeted group.

“I attended the recent Miss Wheelchair pageant organised by MAARDEC  (Mobility Aids Research and Development Centre) in Lagos and the organisers promised that any lady who succeeds as the Miss Wheelchair Queen of her state,  will  be given 300,000 as consolation prize while the overall winner will get a brand new car and N2.5 million,” she said.

She said the essence of the pageant was not to display nudity or expose beauty but to create a platform to raise funds to foster the lives of the disabled in various states.

“Some of us got to Lagos by air while our aides by road; I normally have two aides due to my severe disability. Unfortunately, however, even though the organisers have received donations of millions of naira from many organisations, they maltreated us terribly and at the end of the day gave us just N15, 000 including the overall winner,” she lamented.

She called on government, donor agencies and human right groups to checkmate the activities of people who hide behind disabled people to get rich quick.

She observed that the incidence of polio has reduced by 98 percent since 2009, but quickly adds that those incapacitated by the disease need attention and care in order to live a fulfilled life.