Disability – Nearly everyone encounters challenges and hardships in life, individuals with disabilities often face more frequent and significant barriers that can have a profound impact on their daily lives.
While sharing her life story on Prime Progress, Gloria Nwafor disclosed how she suffered from multiple disabilities at age 3, because she had polio which left her paralyzed. The virus went further to affect her sight, making her deaf on her left ear and also losing her ability to perceive a smell.
These conditions made it impossible for Nwafor to start school with her mates, and she only started when something that seemed like a temporary miracle happened.
According to her, the parents were bothered of her attending school, but with time, she started working which prompted her to start school, although she had a hard to hear impairment and was visually impaired too.
Despite these challenges, little Gloria still made it to school and went on being one of the pupils with the best result.
Nwafor said growing up with alarming social exclusion in her immediate environment was devastating. She noted that she was mostly in isolation because she barely had friends. The most painful rejection was from her family members who tried persuading her to halt her education due to her disability traits.
“They said it was useless educating a girl with a disability who would not be useful,” she said.
Daring the odds, she still persevered in educating herself even though there was financial constraint to limit her purpose.
“I would go to the oil processing factory, separate the kernel from the chaff, and they paid me. I cracked palm kernel and fetched firewood for sale. Even, I carried concrete (mixed cement and sand) for the mason people in various construction sites,” she recounted nostalgically.
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Due to her diligent spirit, she was offered a job by the local government administration after her secondary school and was privileged to secure a scholarship to tertiary institution where she gained admission into Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
Nwafor never gave up on her dreams on education despite the hurdles of stigmatization and discrimination she faced in the institution.
“People didn’t like associating with me. The only lady who accepted to be my friend, they were even dissociating themselves from her. It was painful to me as even the lecturers didn’t see one as a human being. But, I am happy today that I am a graduate,” she said.
Interestingly, Nwafor is applauded for her genuine effort in accomplishing her goals eventhough she encountered bumpy rides by people she loved. She is now the only graduate in the family of four and runs a Non Governmental Organization called Care for the Physically Challenged and Destitute Foundation ( CAPCADF) where she caters for the needs of PWDs community.
“Based on my bitter experiences, I established the NGO as a platform to educate and encourage fellow PWDs, especially the ladies, never to give up hope. They can rise above limitations and still become whatever God wants them to be, even without the help of anyone,” she said.
Indeed, Glory’s story shows that there is ability in disability if one determines to succeed.
