Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo reports that John Obinna Ukoumuneh, who has refused to be shackled by his disability, is spreading the message of ability in disability
John Obinna Chukwuma Ukoumuneh has refused to be held down by the shackles of physical disability. Not only has he striven to acquire education up to the university level, he has also acquired skills.
Having overcome the imposed limitations of disability, Obinna has become a messenger of hope for those in similar circumstances of life.
He has continued to inspire people with disabilities to shake off self pity and other inhibitors of self worth and actualisation.
Obinna strongly believes that “there is no disability in disability”, rather, he insists that “there is ability in disability” and has continued to demonstrate it through his activities and programmes.
To help others with the misfortune of having one form of disability or the other, Obinna set up a non-governmental organisation, John Obinna Chukwuma(JOC) Foundation. Though the NGO has concentrated much of its programmes in the Western part of the country, especially Lagos and Ogun States, the founder said that with time other states would gradually feel the impact of JOC Foundation.
Recently the foundation carried out its first project in Abia State in the South-east zone. It was a skill acquisition project targeted at the students of the Special School for the Blind, Afaraukwu in Umuahia North Local Government, Abia State.
The students were trained in the skill of making hand sanitizers, antiseptics and liquid soaps. “I don’t want people to go out there begging. They will lose their self confidence and self esteem,” he said. The project, which Obinna said was sponsored by GlobalGiving.Org, was the first project his NGO was doing in the South-east zone of the country.
It was evident that the programme was a success. The students at a ceremony marking the end of the programme displayed the products they produced to the amazement and admiration of guests at the event.
The JOC Foundation President said that he was satisfied with the outcome of the programme. He said that it is important that the students should acquire skills in addition to formal education as it would prepare them for the challenge of independent life.
According to him, “every adult, both able and disabled should be self reliant to reduce the burden of poverty”. He explained that the skill acquisition project “is a long term programme” with the first phase just concluded.
The second phase, he added, would involve teaching the students the art of bead making, making of ornamental pots and computer operation skill. No fewer than 140 blind students are expected to benefit from the programme.
The head of the school for the blind, Mrs. Celine Ngozi Olugu was elated at seeing many of her students learn how to make liquid soaps and antiseptics. She noted that the acquired skill would “make great impact on their lives and help them a lot after leaving school”.
Olugu said that the capacity building workshop organised by JOC Foundation was the first time her students were exposed to such skill acquisition programme and profusely thanked Obinna for the gesture.
But it was really a wonder how the students with their visual impairments managed to mix the chemicals used in making the different products.
A member of board of directors of JOC Foundation, Mrs. Kate Alozie Nwokeafor resolved the puzzle. She told THISDAY that the students were taught how to detect the chemicals by smell and touch.
She said that with the detection technic the students were fully involved in the production of the hygienic products. The blind students were also taught how to use their sensory perception to differentiate original chemicals from fake ones.
Therefore, it would be hard to give them the wrong stuff when they go to the market to purchase the raw materials with which to produce their products.
The empowerment and capacity building workshop for the blind students attracted the interest of the state government and the traditional institution of the host community.
They were at the exhibition ceremony to see things for themselves and encourage the students. The Permanent Secretary in the Abia State Ministry of Education, Mr. Eze Ajuzie sent goodwill message to the JOC Foundation through the Chief Education Officer, Mrs. Roselyn Okorie, encouraging Obinna not to relent in the good works he has been doing among people living with disabilities.
The traditional ruler of Enyiukwu autonomous community Afaraukwu, Eze Phillip Kachi Ukaegbu noted that Obinna’s intervention in shaping the future of the blind students deserve commendations and encouragement. “I highly appreciate the initiative, the coordination and the hope they inspire,” he said.
Eze Ukaegbu said that he was amazed that a physically challenged person could have the drive and strength to do what the JOC Foundation President has been doing. “I admire Obinna; he does not evoke pity. He understands what God wants him to do,” he said, adding that “whoever has life it is for a purpose”.
The royal father stated that the initiative has demonstrated that physical disability cannot kill someone’s dream of being great in life if the will and self belief is there.
“Time has gone,” he said, “when people see disability as death sentence or a sentence to poverty”.
Even though Obinna, who hails from Ohohoro Ovim in Isuikwuato Local Government of Abia State, has somehow overcome his disability, it has been a long struggle, which started very early in his life.
His mother, Mrs. Okwuchi Ekeoma Ukoumuneh said that he was got poliomyelitis infection barely six months after he was born. “Till today I cannot explain why he was attacked by polio even though he was fully vaccinated,” she said.
Every medical efforts to restore the child to normal physical health failed. But Obinna’s parents did not give up on their baby and abandon him to his fate as some parents would do to a child with disability.
Obinna received special love and care from his parents and his siblings as well. “I sacrificed my work to encourage him,” said Obinna’s mother. She was a teacher by profession but it was not possible for her to remain in the classroom and still give her crippled child full attention.
Even at the University and the Nayional Youth Service (NYSC) programme, the loving mother was there with her beloved son to care for him. And she has been assisting him to run the JOC Foundation. Obinna acknowledges and appreciates the role his parents have played in his life to make him become an overcomer of disability.
He said that his father, Chief Emmanuel Iheanyi Ukoumuneh made it possible for him to good education up to university level. “My father made me what I am today by giving me good education,” he said.
Indeed, Obinna considers himself lucky to have parents that love and care for him, noting that “there are so many parents that don’t care and that is why many children with and even without disabilities end up in the streets and engage in begging for survival”.
The JOC Foundation President, who considers himself as “voice of the voiceless” called on parents that have children with disabilities to emulate his parents and take good care of such children. According to him, every child with disability has a potential to do great things and parents should provide the needed spark.
Obinna started doing projects to help people in need when he was doing his compulsory NYSC programme in Lagos State. He organised eye screening/blood pressure checks at the Girls Correctional Centre Idi Araba, Lagos State.
The then governor of the state, Mr. Raji Fashola was so impressed with Obinna’s programme and sent doctors as well as 300 pairs of eye glasses in support of the exercise. Obinna also went to remand homes and organised career talks for the inmates to enable them refocus their lives after leaving their place of confinement.
He has also taken his programmes to the churches and communities where he organised sensitisation programmes on personal hygiene. His efforts did not go unnoticed. He won NYSC awards for his outstanding performances during his service year.
Some organisations and individuals have at one time or the other assisted him to carry out some programmes with his NGO. But more assistance is needed.
This is because Obinna wants to do much more with his NGO to help persons with disabilities and the society in general. But his burning desire is at the risk being doused by lack of funds.
JOC Foundation has a wide range of thematic areas of focus, including health and medical interventions/missions, advocacy, capacity building/skills acquisition.
His activities towers above his physical disability. The young man exudes infectious passion for the welfare of the less privileged and the overall good of the society. “If somebody like Obinna could be doing this, it is a strong message that there is ability in disability,” his mother said.
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“I don’t want people to go out there begging. They will lose their self confidence and self esteem…every adult, both able and disabled, should be self reliant to reduce the burden of poverty”
