From Jude Okafor, Enugu
President, The Initiative for the Eradication of Poverty and Empowerment of the Disabled (IFEPED), has vowed to dissuade physically challenged persons from begging. It has taken on the campaign to change the trend in the South East.
The reason its president, Victor Ugwu, at every public gathering, he urged them to learn how to manage their disability because “street begging is not the best.”
Somewhere else, Jesus International Technical Secondary School, Orifite in Ekwusigo Local Government, Anambra State, is doing something similar. The special school is preparing physically challenged pupils to be financially, psychologically and emotionally independent.
At the school, physically challenged pupils are made to build confidence through skill acquisition. They are brought up in the knowledge of constructing bicycles, making beads, house wiring, repairing phones, refrigerators, fans among other things.
A visit to the school showed that the pupils, with deformities ranging from deaf and dumb to blind and crippled, acquire skills to benefit them and their immediate society.
Proprietor of the school, Rev. Fr. Anthony Ananwa, said the pupils are taught to produce things that help them improve their lives and the society: “They are trained in house wiring, repairing of phones and construction of tubeless bicycles using local and foreign materials. Ours is a special type of bicycle that nails cannot puncture. Our students have produced a good number of bicycles, which we give to individuals and corporate organizations.
“Nobody created by God is disabled. I have the belief that even if any individual has physical deformity, he is capable of doing anything, as long as his brain is working, because, there is ability in disability. All these people often described as disabled can actually think, work, study and do many things like any other human being.
“In many cases, they can do even more than the able-bodied people, just as we demonstrate here at the school. Software instructor in this school is in the wheel chair, yet, she is one of our best teachers.
“We have a lot of children with different forms of physical issues. We teach them how to make beads, repair laptops and handsets, construct bicycles, do house wiring and a whole lot of things. They lean all these so that they will be independent and contribute meaningfully to the society.
“Today in Nigeria, many graduates roam the streets without jobs. This is because there are no paid jobs. Skills acquired in this school will go a long way to equipping the individual to fend for himself without depending on anybody for survival.
“When any of our pupils or students completes his secondary education, he can settle down and practice what he learn. Through it, he can fend for himself not becoming a burden to the society.” He said majority of the pupils, who have nobody to take care of them receive training at no cost: “As many of them as want to attend school or acquire skills will do so without hindrance.”
He said the school depends on good spirited individuals for feeding of the children, paying salaries of teachers, building classroom blocks and residential structures for the special children, among other necessities.
One of the teachers, Mrs Mmesoma Chimezue, said the children are coping very well with skills being impacted in them: “I take the students on Electrical and Electronics, and they are doing well. Anytime I get house wiring contract to do, I always pick some of them because they have got the knowledge of the job.
“Majority of them can do house wiring very well. One of them can do, at least, two-bedroom apartment. They are also trained to repair television, radio, fan, stabilizer and other home appliances.”
Nduka, SS3 student, said despite her physical impairment, she was able to learn how to repair household appliances like television, electric stove, fan, refrigerator and pressing iron, among others. She said her skill would help her in fending for herself and her family:
“I come here some years ago when I was still in JSS1. I live in the school dormitory with some of my colleagues. We grow up under the tutelage and guidance of Fr. Anthony Ananwa, who also make sure that we acquire requisite skills that will shape our future.”
Veronica Uboshi, SS1 student, told Daily Sun: “I am physically challenged. I used to be one of the street beggars in Awka. Someone who knew me from our community met me in Awka and decided to bring me to this school. Today, besides being able to read and write, I can make beads, repair electrical appliances and can do many other handwork that can keep me out of the streets after leaving school.”