Simon says

Today I spent the afternoon with an amazing young man called Simon. I decided that for my blog today I’d let him tell you his story himself - although this is just a part. We didn’t have a sign language interpreter so we have communicated all day by the written word and it seemed right for this to be in his words.  I am humbled, shamed, challenged and inspired by Simon.  

I grew up a normal child like others. My childhood was at some times difficult when my parents lost their jobs. We are 6 children, 3 girls and 3 boys.  

When I was in Primary 1 and 6 years old, I got some problem with my kidney.  I spent nearly a whole year out of school doing treatment.  Mom had by then saved enough for a Small Business so she was able to pay the hospital bill.  But I missed my dose of drugs one day and almost lost my life, it was a great hearted Nurse who saved me! From this point, I never looked as normal as I used to be. It’s from here that I saw just a small problem at school.  I couldn’t hear the teacher and all I could do was try hard to lip-read the teachers.  I sat in front and it was the only way out.  2 years later, I was not able to hear completely, it was discouraging. There was nothing much I could do, mom just kept telling me I should keep on with school but it was hard bearing with the bullying from the kids at school. They were so cruel. But on the other hand, I had some close friends who understood me; they were the stars that lit my path!

There was no option for me, I loved learning so I struggled with school. I didn’t know anything like sign language by then so I just had to read books in the small school library.  I used to read my friend’s books to catch up. It was tough since there was no way out there, I did my best and what a surprise to be one of the best Pupils at school in my Primary Leaving exams!

Luckily the government Education ministry identified me as a special student and referred me to Ngora High School where there were Deaf students. Here I learnt how to sign in an amazing one year and that was really very promising to me. I was able to join other students who were deaf and learn using sign language interpreters. As the majority of students used to hear, we were given an interpreter to convey the teacher’s message into sign. I loved it and it made me even more bright.

At some point in my secondary education, I was left all alone.  Dad was finding it difficult to raise fees, mom was also struggling with the other kids and I was far from being thought of.  I was in and out of school regularly but I made it a point to keep learning that’s how I ended up in Global Care.  The local Global Care staff helped Simon with his fees at this stage and then found him a sponsor in the UK.  I was able to get to University and now doing Industrial \Design.

I have a great passion for volunteerism!  So far, I have been leading the Youth with disabilities in Uganda, I also volunteer with the African Youth with Disabilities Network a new platform for advocates for Youth with Disabilities Rights across the continent.  I can see myself do some more bits of volunteer work at Global Care, now that we have a disability project.  Children with disabilities are very vulnerable in the Ugandan Community and if anything can be done, that should be to change the world around them before attempting to change them. There is a lot of external pressure than that influences their futures; from family to neighbours and even the physical environment itself. We can make it better if we try to correct such defects. We can give them hope for a better future. I myself I feel it will be bad to see someone else go through the hardships I have trailed through.

If a have just one more wish, it would be to tell the world that Disability is not the state of being unable because of someone’s looks and how he is, rather it’s a state of gaining incapability because of the eyes and negative thoughts of those around the person.  We could not have known about disability if those who were normal did not stare recklessly then say that “Aah I think that one can not manage this!”

I know myself, am Deaf, but I just cannot be called a Disabled Person, because as a friend once told me, my Personality comes First then my disability follows so maybe say I am a Person with Disability, because it’s all about Ability!