Commencing National Service without sign interpreter difficult – Gombe born ex-corps member with hearing loss
Zonal Coordinator, joint Association of People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) in Gombe State, Comrade Yahaya Yusuf, in this interview with the Publisher of Periscope Nigeria, Chima Azubuike, shares his experience at Nkwere Orientation Camp Imo State, how he engages in lip-reading to socialise and other sundry issues.
Can you introduce yourself?
I’m 27 years old graduate of Political Science with Diploma in ICT.
At what age did you lose your hearing ability?
At about 10 years of age. I fell so ill and was hospitalised. That’s how I woke up not hearing the world anymore. I cried. My mom cried, I was sad that I can no longer hear any sound, but I overcame all the sadness and disappointment. I now accepted it as fate and destiny. I sometimes consider being a deaf a blessing in disguise.
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Why is it a blessing in disguise?
I can no longer hear bad music, gossip speech, disturbing sounds while a sleep etc. I usually sleep well with peace of mind and if some people gossip about me if I don’t hear it will not pain me, I won’t feel hurt what I don’t hear you say or see your lips move. So backbiters hurt themselves and take over my sins..smiles
What were you told caused your condition?
My mom told me its not measles but Meningitis that caused my deafness at the hospital. She said I was given more than 30 injections and I can’t remember the number of drip I received. When I got a bit better, while trying to regain consciousness I just realised I couldn’t hear anymore. I feel deep silence within me. My mother, my aunty etc talked to me asking how I feel but I couldn’t hear or reply but I was looking at them and smiling. It was then my mom wondered. They called the doctor who said I can’t hear anymore.
What was her immediate response?
My mom cried, I understood why she was crying so I followed. We wept bitterly but I decided to accept the fate and thank God for his mercy towards me. my mom became more determined to ensure i got treated, unknown to her it’s extremely difficult to heal deafness in a Nigeria. After struggling here and there, hospital to traditional medical homes etc in vain we gave up. My father decided to send me back to school where I graduated with science, English and Maths as my best subjects in spite of being the only deaf student in the school.
What efforts did your parents make to restore it back?
A lot until they gave up. In fact I told them to stop wasting time and resources on me and support my education instead. They went from hospital to hospital, traditional medical homes, fake malams and even one pastor that asked them to bring chickens. We did and she gave us some useless herbs yes, I now consider them useless because they never worked, and she said if it doesn’t work we should come back and when we did she said we should bring goat. Imagine, from chicken to goat, who know cow might be next request my parents may grapple with, my parents soon understood that those people were only ripping us off using my predicament.
Were you able to see an expert?
I was later taken to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital where the Audiologist did a lot of their tests and so on and recommended hearing aid instead. We bought them at exorbitant prices but they never worked. We gave up.
So how do you feel among those so called normal family members?
I feel okay, thought I am sometimes introvert and sometimes suffer from inferiority complex on the basis of my disability. I’m trying so hard to overcome.
You said you can sleep peacefully without fearing noise, was there an experience that made you go to a place late ? No, When I was hearing noises either from humans, motorists, whatever can sometimes disturb me while asleep but now not anymore. I usually wake up by the time of any prayer myself without hearing the calls to prayer. I don’t know why but it often happens to me. This might be a miracle from Allah.
Do you believe you could hear again?
Yes, if God so wills.
How will you feel if you suddenly begin to hear?
I will be surprised and thank to God the Almighty.
Will you be able to declare it publicly or you will want to deceive those that have said negative things in the past to catch them unaware?
I must make it public and organise special prayer, thanksgiving.
What is your level of competency in ICT with your current certification?
If am to rate myself on the scale of 1 to 5 I will give myself 3. I have more to learn in ICT as learning never ends. I thank God for the Personal Computer donated to me by Sheikh Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami (Minster of Communications and Digital Economy), when he was NITDA DG. It helped me to learn more. Unfortunately it’s having problems now.
Marital status?
I’m in a complicated relationship. I personally wanted to marry a deaf girl like me. I meant an understanding deaf girl who is educated both islamically, Hausa and in western even if she’s just a secondary school graduate and or beyond. Fortunately I got one with those qualities doing her NCE, unfortunately genotype issue separated us. As you know AS can’t marry AS or SS, so I’m trying to get another one with similar qualities above that match my genotype.
Why were you specific on those qualities?
Why I wanted to marry a deaf girl is because of communication, understanding and respect for each other, without unnecessary prejudice, discrimination or superiority complex.
What is your family background?
I have a humble family background. My dad is a farmer and teacher, while my mom is a house wife. However, my parents are becoming old. My Dad is blessed with two wives and about 12 Children. I’m the 5th from my mom side.
In your family were you the only physically challenged? Yes of course.
What were the challenges you faced growing up?
I experienced alot of prejudice, discrimination, marginalisation and segregation on the basis of my deafness/disability. I could vividly remember when I was at Junior secondary school a conventional school some students mocked me because I’m deaf, some laughed me and called me names like kurma (deaf person) which I hate most, I love it when I’m called by the name given to me by my parents when I was born for instance Yusuf or my nickname “Comrade” calling someone kurma is derogatory and discriminatory. However, I no longer feel pained whenever someone called me kurma again. I learnt to bear the pains and never let any devil try to discourage me in my endeavours ahead. I’m determined to take down the challenge irrespective of name callings, prejudice, discrimination and segregation by some people.
How did you overcome the hurdles? God helped me to overcome. It’s as a result of determination, resilience and dedication.
Did you go to special school, the schools you attended were they friendly to people with special needs?
Yes. My dad decided to transfer me to special school in Gombe. It’s a school for the deaf,and blind and People Living With Disability. We had both deaf and hearing/Special education teachers and I must admit I hardly felt discriminated, marginalised or segregated on the basis of my disability because all of us were People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) and the non PWDs are mostly special educators who understands how to live and communicate with us, the deaf, blind and PWDs. However, the school has its own lot of challenges some of which I won’t mention here but in short, lack of adequate and qualified teachers, lack of staff quarters and adequate hostel, poor erosion etc and I’m calling the government to please do the needful.
How tedious was it doing your NYSC orientation in Imo? It was really challenging but interesting and worth the while. It taught me a lot. Well, while in Imo orientation camp, the biggest challenge I faced was during the registration and other exercises is communication barrier however I was able to tackle the challenges by writing method. And in less than a week I was so fortunate to meet a sign language interpreter, a fellow corps member, I introduced him to my platoon officer and camp director who advised that we need to always be together especially during SAED lectures, announcement etc so that I too can hear what’s going on and we did. Two weeks later I met another corps member who knows sign language well also, and almost everything went smooth with little or no communication barrier whenever they are with me, I too can hear through them. I must thank God for his mercy and guidance.
What could have happened if there was no such corps members with such gift?
When I asked them how did they learnt sign language thinking they studied special education, all of them said no, it’s from their church. The two of them claimed their pastors encouraged them to learn it from the deaf and help interpret for the deaf worshippers in their church that’s how they learnt it. I was really impressed and wept for the Muslims in North. It’s something we Muslims ought to do unfortunately the reverse is still the case.
Way forward?
Permit me to say that there are many steps to make the NYSC scheme more inclusive to us; for the deaf, the biggest challenge we face is information and communication barriers. It’s as a result of this barrier that a camp army almost harassed my friend a deaf Corps member posted to Kano camp which forced him to report that to the camp director/state coordinator and requested for a sign language interpreter to facilitate communications.
If I may suggest, The NYSC Director General (DG) needs to direct all state Coordinators to hire at least two sign language interpreters to accommodate deaf corps members posted to their states. Meanwhile, the deaf prospective Corps members are advised to put their physically challenged status during the NYSC registration and it will be important if the NYSC NHQ will use the information supplied during the registration to know where deaf corps members are posted so as to direct the State Coordinators/camp directors to accommodate them well with sign language interpreters. More so, the NYSC DG need to make a conscious effort to ensure that any benefiting programme by the scheme or partner agencies should include at least 5% corps members with disabilities so as to motivate and encourage them.
Meanwhile the Z.I /LGI also need to make an effort to know whether there are deaf and disabled corps members posted to serve in their states/LGs so as to accommodate them well with interpreters most especially during Community Development Service meetings, INEC sensitisation and training, clearances among others. Last but not the least, the scheme needs to be more accessible to all People living With Disabilities.
What were your reason for redeploying to Bauchi, how beneficial was it serving there? Smiles, that’s NYSC for you. People no longer want to stay outside their zone due to so many reasons best known to them. On my own case, the NYSC State Coordinator himself asked me if I wanted to be relocated to anywhere on the basis of my condition? Note that PWDs are free to relocate that’s why I decided to relocate to Bauchi to serve at Bauchi State Agency for Persons with Disabilities to garner first hand experiences of how the Agency is being administered. I pray one day Gombe state government will establish the same Agency for PWDs and if I’m still available in the state, hopefully I will be allowed to contribute my quota on how to run the Agency.
How easy has it been settling down especially in the area of employment after youth service? It’s not easy but thankfully I was immediately hired by two online media organisations to work with them as reporter. And I was later hired by one NGO to serve as part time Data Enumerator and advocate. As I’m talking to you all of them are on part time basis but thankfully I was able to save to set up Agrobusiness.
What is the future of physically challenged persons in Nigeria?
Bright, especially with the establishment of the National Commission for PWDs by the FG and many states are following the step of the Federal Government in establishing an Agency or commission for PWDs, see Kogi, Plateau, Ondo, Anambra, Lagos, Bauchi, etc for instance had already established an Agency used to serve as a link between PWDs and the government. The Agency or Commission will enable the government to have first hand information and solutions to the challenges of PWDs. The Federal Government, Non Governmental Organisations and donor agencies will come directly to the commission or agency to support PWDS instead of going to some ministries that will only use People living With Disabilities, siphon almost everything and neglect them.
