The 3rd December each year is the International Day of persons with disabilities.
I was not aware of this great day until I passed by ADRA compound in Juba and saw a banner written, “INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Under the theme, “Amplifying the leadership of persons with Disabilities for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future. It was on the 4th December, 2024 when I got the display but where was it celebrated?
Noah Night Nimaya is my friend who studied with me in Buluk A 1 primary school in 2013. We were together the whole year. We finished P8 and moved to secondary school. I went to Kenya and left him in South Sudan for two years. I met him again when I came back from Kenya. I went to College and became a teacher. He completed secondary education and joined the University of Juba in the School of Law.
Noah Night Nimaya changed my negative mind-set towards the persons with disabilities as my college tutors who were Catholic Sisters changed my mind-set towards women whom I thought were inferior. He used to walk from Gudele 2 to Buluk A 1 without any person directing him. He was better than thousands who pretended to have eyes.
Nimaya impregnated two ladies who were all graduates, and one of them was an engineer! It was my shock! In my culture, a young man who impregnates a young girl deserves his father’s respect. His father calls him a champion. Those young men who get married without first impregnating any girl are considered useless. If a young man does something pleasing to an elder, the blessing that elder gives is, “You will impregnate a girl.” My late uncle told me that I would impregnate eight girls. It was unfortunate that I left for school.
Any person with disabilities, if a man cannot have a girlfriend or if a girl can only have the useless young man in the village as her boyfriend. Coming to marriage, a man who is impaired if favoured will only marry either a girl who is not seen by any young man or a woman who has been divorced so many times or is barren.
But here is Nimaya with two girlfriends pregnant! Maybe other people took it negatively, but it was a challenge to my mind-set. I went to primary school, secondary school, college and the University but had never dated any girl! I feared girls but my friend didn’t. I devalued myself but Noah didn’t.
What amazed me was him impregnating an engineer while he was a secondary school student. I could not do that! Even now despite being a man of big certificates, I cannot attempt to approach a girl who is above me in terms of education and work status. Nimaya didn’t care about that. He knew he was a man and lacked nothing. He had valued himself and did what any other person could not do. If you think you are better than any impaired person, tell me who impregnated a graduate while a secondary school student; I will tell you my friend, Nimaya did it.
Despite being a student, Nimaya settled everything amicably. He married the engineer and started his role as a responsible man. He is responsible for his family. I am still single and have no idea when I will be a married man. He had no job but he paid his dowry. I have a job but I am not able to pay dowry. He fully provides for his family. He pays his University tuition himself. I don’t provide for my family neither did I pay my tuition. I went to college and the university under sponsorship. Many unimpaired individuals like me are crying for people to pay them in school. Let’s learn from Nimaya.
We should be inclusive in our education system. It was in 2013 when I attended a class with persons with disabilities for the first time in my life. I grew up in a society where the visually impaired and the deaf are considered unfortunately born. They are not valued. They are not respected. They don’t get the privileges the unimpaired children get. There was no child that had disabilities that had ever been taken to school in my home village.
The syllabus which the teachers use in class is not inclusive. The syllabus does not tell which specific parts should be taken by the impaired individuals. It is designed to favour the unimpaired learners only. Other learners are active in class while the impaired learners remain passive. The syllabus book dictates that.
We should make our syllabus fit every learner whether impaired or unimpaired. We must design a curriculum that involves all the learners. The ministry should provide schools with materials for impaired learners. My friend Nimaya is in the University of Juba but he faces a lot of challenges. The University does not have a curriculum that fits him. He is put together with other students. His activities are supposed to be programmed in braille. I went twice to write his exams. I could read him the questions and tell me the answers. I wasn’t happy and prayed that the University could think of doing something for them.
The teachers don’t pay attention to the impaired learners in class. I was very annoyed with my teachers who could only focus on the unimpaired learners leaving out the impaired learners. Teachers who use the traditional way of teaching are the worst. They write while talking. My visually impaired friend suffered terribly from those teachers.
Teachers need special trainings on how to deal with the impaired learners. These impaired learners are ignored by the teachers not because they intend to but just because they are not informed. I advise the ministry to look for ways to train the teachers in inclusive education. I did my research on inclusive education. I was researching the factors affecting the visual impaired learners in Juba Block. My case study was Buluk Centre for Impaired Learners. From my research, I learned many things that every teacher must know.
Despite doing research in inclusive education, I still need to know a lot about inclusive education. I find it challenging to help children with disabilities in my classroom. My situation is the situation of every teacher. Every teacher must write in braille. Every teacher must know sign language. I was lucky to be in touch with the Buluk Centre. I was provided with braille and other things for visually impaired learners. I am training myself now though haven’t done something better yet. I believe I will very soon.
Let’s have inclusive leadership. The persons with disabilities must be represented in every office. We need them to be in the parliament. My friend, Nimaya who is a lawyer now has the potential to be in our parliament. Including them in leadership will change the society’s mindset. We believe in our societies that every person with a disability is incapable of leading others. They have taken them as unfortunate human beings. They are not incapable. They have the ability to lead. They have the ability to rule. They can play any role any unimpaired person can do.
Let’s have inclusive societal marriages. The belief of society that any person with disabilities deserves the worst is not true. They can choose their life partners. They love like others. If it is the question of responsibility, they are responsible. Take Nimaya for example. He is a married man. He provides for his family. He has an office. He is employed like any other person. He gives me money every time I meet him. I am not impaired but I sometimes depend on him. We should change our wrong perceptions. I changed mine. You can also change yours.
Stop bullying impaired persons! In the community, we bully them. In schools, we bully them. In our offices, we bully them. In our homes, we bully them. We should stop it! They are humans like us. They are capable of doing everything we do. I am their living testimony. Be kind to them.
Let’s help the persons with disabilities. I helped my friend Nimaya to write his notes. I helped him to write his exams. We should give more help to them. I saw a visually impaired boy struggling to find his way. I can’t forgive myself for leaving him without helping him. I apologize on behalf of other people who were also watching him like me without considering helping him too. We should give them the help we can. If it means paying them in schools, please, let us do it. If it means writing their notes, please let’s do it. It means empowering them, let us do it. We live for the welfare of each other.
Let’s fight any wrong perception intimidating them. Rebuke whoever speaks ill of them. Educate your family to love the persons with disabilities. Counsel those who think God hate them for having a person with disability in their family. Train your community on inclusive education if you can. Advise your authority to deal with whoever mistreats anybody with disability. We are the eye of humanity. Together we can bring inclusivity in our nation. Be kind to the Nation.