Living to inspire: Disability cannot hold her back

***Hannah Wanja during the interview. {PHOTO: BENJAMIN OBEGI/STANDARD}***

As the world marks International Day of Disabled Persons tomorrow, progress made globally as pertains those with disabilities is set to be reviewed.

The date, which was first celebrated in 1992, aims to generate understanding while calling for dignity for persons living with disabilities (PLWD).

This year’s theme: “Inclusion matters: Access and empowerment of all people of all disabilities’’, is based on the need to expand opportunities for this vulnerable group.

Despite the date being marked annually, PLWDs still face challenges and in most cases, children are denied a level playing field where they can compete with their peers at different levels.

It is, however, not all doom and gloom as there are those who have risen past these challenges to become achievers and have set out to inspire thousands who shy away from taking that first step to change their circumstances.

One such person is 24-year-old Hannah Wanja Maina who has not only braved torrents of societal condemnation but has also excelled academically when most of her age mates were denied the opportunity to access education.

Born in 1991 without disability in Gatundu North, Kiambu County, a doctor’s injection saw her join the disability bracket.

“My mother told me an injection on my right foot led to my condition. It was not easy when I went to school. Some considered me cursed and some parents told their children to stay away from me,” Wanja recalls.

She says growing up as a child with disability exposes one to condemnation by fellow learners and society at large noting that her academic prowess was not well received.

“Some of my classmates would say I was not supposed to beat them (in academics) because I was disabled. To them, being disabled meant I was not good enough to be in class let alone be among the top students. While I got to stay in school, this was not the case for many of my age-mates who were denied access to education due to their disability,” she says.

Wanja says she too would have part of the shunned lot were it not for her parents who were willing to make sacrifices to ensure their daughter lived a normal life.

“I particularly salute my mother who carried me to and from school everyday on her back. She remained strong despite being severally discouraged by other parents,” she says.

This determination from her parents saw the young girl apply herself diligently in her studies which saw her excel at primary, high school and university level before going on to assume an advocacy role which saw her recently bag the Inspirational Woman of the Year award courtesy of Mothers and Daughters in conjunction with the Ministry of Devolution and Planning.

The award was in recognition of her being an avid campaigner of people living with disabilities and using social media as a tool of change. Two years ago, she turned to this platform to shine a light on passengers with disabilities who have to depend on well-wishers to carry them into public vehicles. Today she has a Facebook page: “Stories and Images of Ability-Nairobi” where she is capturing and telling stories of PLWDs.

And while Wanja continues to make a name for herself as an avid campaigner and activist, her mother - Nancy Maina, remains her biggest supporter.

For Nancy, raising her daughter to become the person she is today was a tale of blind faith, dogged determination and unwavering hope that her child will one day rise to make a difference in society.

“After that fateful injection, we tried to sue the doctor and the hospital but found this to be a tiresome, expensive experience. I decided to focus on raising my child in such a way that would see her realise her full potential,” says the mother of five.

Nancy says despite feeling that justice had been denied to her second born child, she vowed not to be among those who denied her the rights due to her as a child.

“She could not walk properly so I had to carry her to and from nursery school on my back everyday. Some parents told me to leave her at home and focus on my other children but I would not listen to them because I felt she deserved parental attention. The fact that she had a disability did not make her a lesser being,” Nancy says.

Indeed by ensuring she kept her disabled girl-child in school, Nancy was defying an accepted societal norm that seemed to encourage discrimination of the disabled child more-so the female. And it was indeed a proud moment for her to see her daughter receive recognition for her efforts.

“I am indeed very proud of what she has achieved. Were it not for my decision to stand with her as a parent, she would be languishing in abject poverty,” she says.

Today, Wanja is a graduate from the United States International University-Nairobi and is pursuing a Master’s degree in gender studies at the University of Nairobi.

She says her chosen field of study as a second degree is aimed at broadening her appreciation for those with disabilities noting that “women with disabilities face a double burden”.

She also believes the award means more battles on her hands on behalf of others and to do this effectively, she has joined hands with others of like mind by becoming part of the Network of Young Women with Disabilities which aims to help girls and young women with disability realise their human rights.

She has used this forum to bring at least 70 young women into a discussion table and says through this dialogue “we are owning the story and enabling young women say disability will not dictate their success. It is encouraging to see them begin to map out a bright future”.

National Council For People With Disabilities Chairman Dr David Ole Sankok says although Kenya has made strides in including those with disabilities, we are yet to achieve the expected mark.

“We are not there yet especially as pertains education. Whereas we are supposed to have inclusive education, we are still seeing learners with disabilities being consigned into different schools. This not only promotes inequity but further hampers access to education for these vulnerable children,” he says.

Dr Sankok also notes that only about 30 per cent of children with disabilities have been granted access to school with the biggest challenge coming from parents who willfully keep such children out of class. The chair now wants legislation that will address these and other issues facing PLWDs.

“The current law on disability was signed into law in 2003 - 40 years after independence, after much time and opportunity was lost for those with disabilities. We urgently need more laws that exclusively place persons with disabilities in positions of authority where they can influence decision making and State policies,” he says.

Dr Sankok’s appeal is for Government to ride on this year’s International Day of Disabled Persons theme and widen the access bracket for those with disabilities.

However, Wanja who is also Nairobi Youth Advisory Board member and United Nation Fund for Population Youth Advisory Panel member, believes the current law is sufficient but only lacks implementation which she says is what will bring about the desired change.