PHYSICALLY-CHALLENGED, THE “UNWELCOME STRANGER" 3 IN 'ONE'

PHYSICALLY-CHALLENGED, THE “UNWELCOME STRANGER" In most Society and Enviroment, Familes and Peer Group.

PHYSICALLY-CHALLENGED NGU STAR AT CONVO

KOTA SAMARAHAN: When Ngu Nyok Ping went on stage to collect her scroll for Bachelor Degree in Economics (International Economy) from Unimas pro-chancellor Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud yesterday, pride and happiness were written all over her face.

The cheers and applause, including those from her parents Ngu Ee King and Soo Yoik Chiet, inside Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra were deafening.

The strong show of  support for Ngu is understandable because she is  Unimas’ first physically-challenged graduate who  had defied  the odds to complete her studies successfully.

She thus shone as a beacon of hope for other physically-challenged people to muster enough self-confidence and courage to go after their dreams.

Ngu attributed her ability to complete her degree to God.

“I don’t think I can finish my study without the support of God. I really thank God and, of course, the strong support from my family members,” said the 23-year-old from Sibu.

This ambitious woman is now pursuing a masters degree, also at Unimas. She has not decided which field she would like to specialise in yet but it would be related to economics. What next after the masters?
“I am toying with the idea of studying theology after that,” enthused the devote Christian.

On facilities at Unimas, Ngu said she hoped something could be done to make it more user-friendly for people with special needs.

“Honestly, the facilities in Unimas are not really friendly to students like me. I was lucky to be surrounded by helpful course mates and friends who always lend me a helping hand,” she said.

On her hopes for people with physical disabilities, Ngu said: “I hope they will summon enough courage to further their studies or chase after their dreams. We should never be defeated by our (physical) difficulties.”

Meanwhile, Khaddraa Rajuli and Chua Kim Eng were also on cloud nine yesterday for they were the recipients of the Royal Education Award (Anugerah Pendidikan DiRaja).

Khaddraa, 22, said her secret to success was spending appropriate amount of time on study and leisure. The Bachelor of Science (Human Resource Development) graduate from Bintulu aspires to be a big name in the field of human resource.

“I enjoy interacting with people. That’s why I want to become an influential figure in the field of human resource management in future,” said Khaddraa, who also wished to have her own consultation firm.

For Chua, ‘nothing is impossible and never give up easily’ is the motto which constantly fuels her motivation to nail the Bachelor Degree in Engineering (Civil Engineering).

The Kuching girl, who is now working with a consultant firm, said she might pursue post-graduate studies in future.  During her four-year study in Unimas, this former SMK Batu Lintang student was in the Dean’s List eight times. Other award recipients were Chancellor Award (Khairunnabihah Zainal Abidin), Pro-Chancellor Award (Donald Stephen), Senate Special Award (Lau Ee Li, Kiu Pey Jing and Alex Wong Yik Khai).

Unimas’ two-day 15th Convocation, which started yesterday, saw a total of 1,651 graduates receiving their scrolls.

There are eight PhD graduates, 126 (masters) and 1,517 (bachelors) graduates.

www.theborneopost.com/2011/10/23/physically-challenged-ngu-star-at-convo/#ixzz1lhsN0TG6

Kelly Igberehi, The Physically Challenge Blind Young Man

Kelly Igberehi, popularly known as Kelly Blind is the Blind Comedian of the Federal Republic (BCFR). Born and brought up in Warri, Delta State, he attended Wesley Primary school in Sapele LGA of Delta State and Lukujebu Grammar School, when he lost his sight. The award winning comedian never gave up on himself even though he can not see. He was in Abuja recently with his manager on a promotional tour and Anthony Ada Abraham had the opportunity of discussing some vital issues with him. Excerpt:

Why choose comedy knowing that you have a disability?

The reason is that when I was young, I had this talent and you know, while in primary school, comedy started from jest yabbing. We make jest of each other and everything and then have the best jester, you know. So during that time, I discovered that I do the jest thing well so I decided on pursuing it further because I was very funny and people always wanted me to know that I am very funny. So they said “why can’t you go into TV or radio, the way Basket Mouth and Ali Baba are doing it? Just try and do this thing, you can do better, you know.” That was how I got the courage and started believing that I could do something.

So you lost your sight when you were in secondary school?

Yes, Kelly Blind was not born blind. It was in my early secondary school years, while in the class that I discovered I could not see the blackboard clearly; I would go close to the blackboard while others sat, just so I could write. One day, my teacher called me and said I was  disturbing other people so if you know you’re blind, just tell your father to take you to the hospital and get you glasses. I discover you can not see very well, you are blind. That was when I went back home and told my parents that I can no longer see the blackboard very well and from then, my parents took me to hospital in Warri. The doctor told me we had to have operation but we can’t do it in Warri. So he referred us to Enugu or Kaduna where they have eye specialists. We went to the hospital in Enugu. We went to Niger Opticals where the doctor agreed to perform the operation, but stressed that my gaining my sight was a 50/50 chance, there was no guarantee, I may see or not see again and since it was so serious, my dad gave his consent. So he tried the left eye, but did not succeed. So my dad told the doctor to leave the other one, so we started going to churches for a miracle, just so I can see again.

So now that you are in the system, I mean a comedian cum entertainer, what exactly do you intend to bring into the industry?

You know if you are coming into the industry today, you need to package yourself, it is not something you just jump into. It is something you have to do constantly. Your fans are always there waiting to hear new things every time you are on stage. You really need to go back home to think again and again to come up with something good for them. You know like Kelly Blind is coming out with this TV programme tagged The K. Blind Show. A programme that Nigerians would not want to miss because it comes with a different concept. There will be  different things that have never been seen and I intend to introduce different things. It is just a 30-minute show which I believe will ease people’s stress.

So apart from entertainment what else do you do?

Apart from entertainment, I went through School for the Blind, Centre for the Blind, Ikeja Lagos, where I studied Music. So I also do music and other things like craft. I also know how to play instruments like the piano and others.

So that means you sing too?

Yes, that is what I’m saying. I sing and I am a song writer too by the grace of God. In fact, I am a full time entertainer. There is nothing I can not do.

So what should we expect from you?

Nigerians should expect a lot from Kelly Blind because I am coming to Abuja to make a big bang in the industry. For the first time I will be introducing blind football for Nigerians. I am telling you this, it is not a joke. We have started it. As I talk to you, we have teams training for the blind football. I want Nigerians to know that there is the need to encourage people like us. I  tell people that disability is a thing of the mind. You see, if they give us the opportunity, we will do well and if you look at the industry you will see that the physically challenged in it are doing well. For example the likes of Cobhams, I must tell you he is the highest paid Nigerian producer today. He is blind but doing well, and there are so many others that are not yet discovered. I was given this opportunity by AY; otherwise nobody would have known Kelly Blind. Also I want to go out there and discover other people like me that have passion for entertainment. I want to bring them to the limelight.

So we are appealing to the government to support this project because it is not a one-man project. Putting together a TV show is not an easy task, you have to get your camera, and you need mobility, especially when you have an external show. You need funds to move these things from one place to the other, to discover the talented physically challenged people whereever they are, get to know what they want and then take them from place to place. So we need support. We are appealing to all the ministries in Nigeria to come and support Kelly Blind, especially the Ministry of Women affairs.

The minister should know that it is her responsibility to support the K. Blind show. The Ministry of Niger-Delta should also know, because my plan is to set up an entertainment show for all the physically challenged people in the Niger-Delta area. I tell you, when you go to the Niger-Delta there is no single school for the blind, it is really drawing us back. Most of us from that area are only able to succeed because our parents took us to schools in Lagos. So there are still many physically challenged people in the creeks living as if they are not humans with no hope in sight. Their parents even hide because they don’t know where to take them; it is really pitiful and we all have to wake up to stop the discrimination so that the future will be bright for all of us.

MY DAD AND THE “UNWELCOME STRANGER”  

  I was fortunate enough to grow up with a wonderful Dad. He is “My Dad” and only my Dad. OK…ok I also share him with my two sisters. However, the truth of the matter is that the three of us also share Dad with an “Unwelcome Stranger.” I reality, this “unwelcome stranger” is Multiple Sclerosis (MS) i.e. an auto-immune neurological disorder.

Dad has been afflicted with MS and physically challenged for over twenty-three years. During this time, he has ALWAYS been there for me. He was the one who taught me how to throw a baseball. He would sit in the lawn chair in our driveway and show me how it was done. As I got older, Dad taught me how to SAFELY work with power tools. This is especially true with a power saw. Whenever I would use it, he would always yell out “FINGERS!” This is his way of reminding me to be careful and not cut my fingers off.

Dad also taught me about being courteous i.e. always saying Please, Thank You and Excuse me. He was always big on vocabulary (especially those “$5.00″ and “$10.00″ words). Dad always taught me how to speak to people. He would always say, “When you speak to someone, you look the other person square in the eyes; let him know that ‘I am here and you can talk to me.’ Always be self-assertive.”

The greatest thing that Dad taught me was the meaning of the word COURAGE. He always considered himself to be a “student” of survivors i.e. individuals who exemplify and illustrate the true meaning of the word COURAGE. He would look at his Mom (my Grandmother) who successfully fought off breast cancer. He would point to people such as Robert R. Ingram, a former Navy Corpsman (medic) who received The Congressional Medal of Honor from President Clinton in 1998 for keeping a platoon of Marines alive during the course of an ambush in Viet Nam in March, 1966. Ingram was courageous enough to do this while being shot four times in the ensuing fire-fight. One of those bullets entered under his right eye, passed through his sinuses and emerged from the left side of his face.

In some way, all of Dad’s mentors taught him about the true meaning of the word COURAGE. My Grandmother taught him that, “…courage is the ability not to give in to any problem with which you are faced with in life.” Robert Ingram taught him that, “…courage is putting your mind to something and doing it.” Dad also met a former Marine who was captured by the Viet Cong in Viet Nam. The man escaped from the “VC” after twenty days as a POW. He taught Dad that “…courage is doing what ya’ gotta’ do when ya’ gotta’ do it.”

The problem with Dad is that he has never seen himself as I see him. He’s a man who taught ME the true meaning of the word COURAGE by successfully going on with his life each and every day despite the presence of a physical challenge.

People just like Dad can certainly teach each and every one of us a “thing or two” about COURAGE. I know because he certainly has taught me more than a “thing or two” about it. My hat’s off to you Dad! Thank you for teaching me a very valuable lesson about life.

by Anthony Lombardo