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Disability
is not Inability |
:: Salome Wanjiku Kimata is a living poster of how little
we do with our talents and abilities.
This beautiful lady made my day when I entered her office
on the sixth floor of Njengi house in Moi Avenue. Her beautiful
face popping from a rather huge swivel chair, she gave me a hearty
welcome. I needed that after a rather unpleasant encounter in
another office a few minutes in another office a few minutes earlier.
“They train their secretaries very well,” I thought.
Before I requested to see her boss, Salome kimata, the Executive
Director of the United Disabled of Kenya-UDEK, there was a knock
on the door. A young man popped in his head. The lady elicted
beaming smile and both engaged in a spirited sign language conversation.
Their laughter rent the air as l watched and longed for a piece
of the excitement. They were best of friends and l begs forgiveness
for assuming they had a thing going. The young man closed the
door and went to the adjacent computer training room.
With a broad smile, she explained,” I had to learn sign
language. You cannot lead a training institute like this without
learning to communicate with everyone.” With this, l realized
this was the Executive Director, not a secretary! Her unassuming
and down-to-earth character was to blame. I was humbled and enjoyed
her infectious big smile and laughter throughout the interview.
I sat back, notebook on the ready, but a lady wheeled herself
into the room, requested Salome to go to the training room and
help her with Braille programme.
Her swift hands moved the wheelchair back to the IT room. Salome
pushed her chair aside and hoisted herself to a clutch.”
She is disabled! I could not have guessed,” my inner voice
exclaimed. Her permanent smile, boldness and the swift movement
on her clutches depicted rare self-confidence for a person with
disability. I was in for more surprises when l perused the small
write-up on herself – an IT consultant, computer system
analyst, computer programmer in several high level languages,
trained in international technology in Japan and USA, attended
several international forums, advocacy on disability issues, and
sitting in the Multisectoral Constitutional Review Forum representing
disability… and before l completed the list she came back.
:: Salome explains a point during the interview in her
office. Below, guiding some of her students at the institute she
founded.
:: Polio comes knocking
Her self-confidence did not come over-night, she confided, picking
from where we left. She walked me down memory lane but without
a tear.
Salome lost use of her legs to polio at the age of three, literally
changing her life. She watched her former playmates run around
as she crawled on all fours. In primary school, children and some
teachers derogatorily referred to her as Gathua, amending a limping
child. Being the laughing stalk was very stigmatizing in these
early formative years.” Why am l different from others?”
was a question that haunter her young mind.
When l sympathetically looks at her, Salome unleashes a friendly
smile and continues, "WE GIVE THE DISABLED THE RIGHT
SKILLS TO GET THE RIGHT JOBS ON MERIT
“It took long to understand and accepted myself. I decided
to be positive and not to succumb to the stigma.
“Thought hard work I could prove I was not useless. I was
in upper primary and within one term I rose to the second position
in class and maintained a lead in all classes henceforth. The
pet name Ciku quickly replaced Gathua which motivated me to love
myself.” Then she chuckle and I join in the laughter.
Salome emerged the best girl in her class in the Certificate of
Primary education examination in 1980 and enrolled at Mugori Girls
in Murang’s.
“I boldly took science subjects, by then a no-go zone for
girls. I excelled in my ‘O’ levels and proceeded for
“A” level in the same school taking Mathematics, Biology
and Physics.” Explains Salome.
She had by now gained a lot of self-confidence in spite of most
people seeing her disability first rather then who she was. She
wanted a career that was not in direct conflict with her physical
disability and opted for a three-year compute science course at
the Computer Science Institute in Siaya and was one ones of very
few girls in class. “It was quiet challenging but I was
up to the task. I was gaining what most people with disability
lack-empowerment. Before graduation l could do computer programming
in several high level languages.
I walked from my examination room to my first job with jubilee
Insurance Company as a computer programmer,” she laughs
heartily, and quips that she got the job merit not on compassionate
grounds.
At this juncture there is a soft knock on the door and a young
blind man gropes in. he asks rather than requests Salome to step
into the training room to assist him. That is how approachable
the Executive Director is. A few minute later she comes back with
a wide smile of satisfaction. “sorry for that,’ she
tells me, ‘when duty calls l forget all else.”
Thought Salome appreciated her empowerment with an education and
a job, she was saddened by the plight of those who begged on the
streets. Her cry was to see them empowerment too.
Her move to the United Disabled Persons of Kenya – UNPK
as project head for civil education programme gave her more in
sight into initiatives to make people with disability independent.
After two years Salome benefited from a scholarship in Japan through
Japan International Cooperation Agency-LICA and studied how information
technology, IT can help a disabled person head an independent
life.
“The experience was an eye-opener. Unlike
the disabled fraternity in Japan, few people in Kenya get empowered.
Those who do find that opportunities to exercise the talent are
not easy to come by,” she contends.
:: First IT institute for disabled
After graduation from Japan, Salome, chose to start an IT institute
to train people with all forms of disability starting with the
deaf, blind, physically handicapped and the albinos. The United
Disability Empowerment in Kenya- UDEK started in 2003 as the first
initiative in computer training for the disabled.
It was an ambitious project requiring special computers and software.
Foe example, for the deaf to benefit, the instructor must be conversant
with both IT and sign language. The computer must have voice software
for the blind to hear and understand. Moreover, there has to be
a machine to translate, and print the information on Braille for
the blind to read.
She committed all her savings to purchase computers and other
equipment. She however could not afford to pay an instructor.
She doubled up as an instructor and trained the students for eight
months before she could afford the services of an instructor.
At night she wrote proposals for support to the project.
“A variety of programes like teaching of sign language to
help the deaf community access information were introduced. The
programme incorporates both Kenyan and American sign languages
for deaf and able-bodied people, “she explains. Currently,
a number of disabled people have been trained as instructors to
train their own hence become role models.
At this juncture, Salome answers her mobile phone. L gather she
is talking to a senior person. They talk about the new location
of the institute on Moi Avenue, which is convenient for all disabled
people. She confides, “That’s a former student and
a living example of achievement of our computer training programe.
We have raised the level of job market completion for many people
living with disabilities. We have a good number of them working
in major organizations, while others are in self-employment.”
:: Advocacy and action programmes
To help the disabled make informed choices and advocate for their
rights, UNEK has introduced governance initiative. In July last
year it embarked on civic education in eight districts targeting
the disabled, their parents and caregivers. The first phase is
ending in September this year. The second phase starts in January
2007. Beaming with confidence, Salome says, “As result various
projects have been initiated with the CDF fund after lobbying
by the disabled. People have joined hands through the formation
the formation of Disabled Persons organizations.
Salome says that people with disability have been left out at
the policy-marking level. This trend is set to change. Already
many disabled people are aspiring for both civic and parliamentary
seats in this year’s General Election. Salome is among them
and vying for Gatundu South parliamentary seat in Thika District.
UNEK is taking services closer to people by opening branches all
over the country.
Buy the time l take leave of her office; l am challenged by how
little we do with our talents and abilities. Salome is one living
proof, that disability is not inability.
Source: Story by John Muturi Saturday Standard August 18 2007
disabilitykenya
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