Kenneth Abah, a shoemaker who experienced a crooked path of life after receiving a Polio vaccine at age 4 in Senegal, an indigene of Cross Rivers State Nigeria, became very resolute despite his unpleasant experience to be relevant to his generation.
In a recent interview with Ojo Samuel Adedapo, Kenneth with a contagious smile willingly shared his challenges in respect of his disability and how he scaled the hurdle of societal stigmatization.
“As a child, I realized I was a human being but different from other children because of my disability. When I asked my mother, she told me that at age 4, I was taken to the hospital for light fever and Polio vaccine was administered which resulted in my disability”.
Kenneth is 39 years, highly resilient in facing life challenges as a person with disability (PWD).
Kenneth had his Primary Education (Primary 1-6), at a Catholic School in Pete, Senegal thereafter, he enrolled at Government Bilingual High School, Moyoka, Senegal. He was privileged to learn shoe repairs from a disabled shoemaker when he was observing his post-Primary Education.
Daily, having concluded class work, he would go for shoe repairs at the training workshop of the disabled shoemaker.
When he concluded Secondary School, he benefited from the Senegalese Government Programme which exempted PWDs from paying some fees in higher institutions but he later dropped out given the sudden death of his senior sister who was responsible for the payment of his expenses at the University of Dakar II, Senegal. This experience did run at variance with his aspiration to become a Lawyer.
Tentatively, the aspiration of Kenneth to become a Lawyer is hanging and dangling between hope and reality of life, though he did enjoy the support and relentless care from his parents which was considered a major driving force for averting stigmatization.
It is also interesting to note that Kenneth’s parents are Nigerians. When the father retired from the company he worked for in Senegal for many years, the entire family had to relocate to Nigeria in 2014. Having arrived in Nigeria, Kenneth lost his mother to death while his father now resides at Ogoja in Cross Rivers State. Kenneth in turn resides in the Post Office compound in Falomo, Lagos. The shoe-making business area is situated opposite the General Hospital, Pathology Department, on Broad Street, Lagos.
At 39 years, Kenneth is not married but hoping that would happen in the near future.
Kenneth appealed to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) to his educational pursuit as he still aims to achieve his dream of becoming a lawyer, despite the challenges.
This is a heart -warming interview. I hope we as members of this society would wake up to render our assistance to this industrious personality who decided to rise above his challenges in life. Well meaning people, let’s please sow where it matters.