Sophia Arina at Sant Egidio Community house in Nakuru town during an interview. [Daniel Chege/Standard]

For 17 years, Sophia Arina lived a desolate life. Her family, embarrassed by her disability, kept her away from the world.  

Arina, now 28, was born with her legs and left hand paralysed. 

She grew up locked in their home in Langa-Langa Estate, Nakuru County. Not even her neighbours could see her.

Speaking to The Standard in an interview, Arina recounted how harsh her father was to her. She was never enrolled in school. 

“My father refused to acknowledge me as his daughter since I was crippled. He made sure that nobody noticed I existed in his life,” Arina said. 

Her mother, Damar Omenda, said her husband was a polygamous man who never provided for his family.

“He had three wives. I was the third and all his children were healthy except Arina, who was born disabled,” said Ms Omenda.  

Arina’s freedom day came in February 2010. That is when she was let loose from her detention after a protracted court battle between her father and local administrators. 

The road to freedom started when the area chief and a local teacher sued Arina’s father and accused him of depriving Arina of her right to education. The court ordered that Arina be taken to school. 

She joined Grade One in Pangani Special School. She was 18 years.

Her school life was never a bed of roses. She lacked bursary and sanitary towels. She had to carry her meals to school everyday since she couldn’t afford to pay Sh3, 000 per term for school meals.

She later enrolled at Vocational Girls for her Fourth Grade in 2017. It was here that she started making woolen mats and doing bead work.

Her teacher, Violet Moshi, said it was difficult for Arina during the early stages.

“She only used one hand, which was weak since birth. But she started improving. She can use her mouth and right hand to create different beaded ornaments, including bracelets, chains, beaded vessels, bangles, and bowls,” said Ms Moshi.

Moshi added that Arina is better at matching colours than the rest of her students.

“She is good in patterning and designing the beads and is always challenging herself. Her speed is also improving each day. We only assist her in tightening,” Moshi stressed.

Arina is set to graduate in July this year from the Vocational Girls School.

Things started looking up for her when a good Samaritan connected her to the county-sponsored Kenya Youth Empowerment Programmes late last year.

She enrolled in the bead work course that runs for six months.

During The Standard visit at Sant Egidio Community house where she works and has called home for the last five months, her face shone with enthusiasm.

Her life that was a struggle since childhood is now headed towards a much happier direction.

“It is here that I make a living. My life is here after I left my family,” she said.

With her skills, Arina now makes products for sale. She uses the money to provide for her needs and those of her mother, who separated from her husband in 2017.

She also hopes to get sponsors who will assist her buy sanitary towels, which are essential especially for someone in her condition.

 

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