Nigerian disability activist battles against begging as "job" for disabled people

From The Daily Independent in Nigeria:

Lagos --It is a common thing in the contemporary Nigerian society to see people with slight disabilities taking to the streets to beg for alms.

In some states, such as Lagos, the practice has become so worrisome that on several occasions, successful governments had had cause to take drastic steps to curb the practice. It is understandable that the allure in Lagos is because of its status as the commercial epicentre of the country, as such, it attracts beggars from outside the state like bees to honey.

But despite the preponderance of the practice, there still exists a set of people with disabilities who will never venture into such odd way of earning a living; rather they are ready to give to other people, both the disabled and able-bodied. They are ever ready to explore their potentialities because, to them, there is strong ability in disability. One of such people is Anayo Kirian Onyejiaka, who is suffering from the paralysis of the legs.

Popular known as Anirank by his friends and admirers, he has become a preacher of sorts against begging, just as he has taken the mantle to bring out the best in other people like him. To achieve this, he takes to music, which, according to him, he discovers as an area where he is potentially great and can easily propagate the message.

"I am using the medium to reach out to the people, who have problems in different ways, particularly I am using the opportunity to touch those of my kind so that they would not be thinking too much or that they are finished but to believe that God is by their side and that with Him they could survive," he said.

He added: "It is also to encourage and inspire those who have great potentialities in them to believe that they can use them to achieve whatever they want to achieve in life."

Not done yet, in November 1996, he went into what could be described as direct battle against begging, as he started a foundation known as Anirank Foundation with office in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government. Today, the foundation has 18 members, including five girls, who are not only discouraging begging by their personal achievements, but are also showcasing their potential beyond the expectations of average persons who have for long associated disability with begging.
They engage in computer operation, cloth making and hairdressing, among other vocations.

"The purpose of the foundation is to change the common impression that the only thing the physically challenged people know is to be begging for alms," he explained, lamenting that many physically challenged persons even have the wrong impression that the only way they can survive is by begging. "As far as I am concerned, that is a very wrong thing. If you think your situation is the worst, it is a lie. What of those that are blind," he queried.

He noted that the society itself is not helping matters, as it makes some people with disabilities to lack confidence in themselves.

The foundation, he said, is assisting the physically challenged but with great potential to realise their dreams just like he is doing with his music.

"We are already reaching out to those with potential. We want them to come forward, leave begging and develop themselves. The message is that if you know you are physically challenged and you have potential, do not hide it, make the best out of it rather than going about begging; there is no amount of money they will give you on the street that will be enough for you. Don't waste the talent that God gives you. Look inwards, assess yourself and release your potential," he counselled.

To Anirank, disability goes beyond physical thing; it is more of a thing of the mind. "As long as your brain is working, how you look like does not matter. If your hand is not working but your brain is working, you can still achieve something," he said.

Recalling his personal experience, he said though he finished secondary school, he believed that it was his determination and brain that were working for him.

His words: "When I realised that on finishing schooling, it would not be easy getting job because of the Nigerian environment, I quickly went into music to raise money and make ends meet as well as to finance the foundation."

So far, the foundation, he said, has been able to rehabilitate some people in need even though the major source of revenue is through musical shows, which enjoy the support of many popular musicians.

"When we started, we involved Daniel Wilson, Daddy Showkey, Daddy Fresh and others. Since them, many musicians have come to our help," he recalled, stressing that come Friday, one of such musical shows is going to take place at Comfort Hotel, Olodi-Apapa.

According to Anirank, the major target now is to establish a centre for the disabled where they can use as an avenue to discover themselves and showcase their potential. Once this is achieved, he said, the project would be expanded beyond Lagos to cover other parts of the country. To him, it is lamentable that people living with disabilities are often neglected whereas if they were assisted, it would reduce their burden on the society.

"If I have my way to see Governor Babatunde Fashola or President Umaru Yar'Adua, I will advise that they build special institutions for the disabled and they will never regret because that will reduce the burden of such people on the society," he stressed.

Buttressing his point, he argued: "It is a very wrong thing if anybody is looking down on the physically challenged people. I believe that there is nobody that is not challenged. There are some people whose hands and legs are complete but their brains are not functioning very well. There are some whose brains are functioning well but how to use the brain is a problem."

Based on this, the foundation is free for both the physically challenged and able-bodied, except that it gives preference to the disabled.

"For those who are physically challenged and have potential, it is free. All they need is just to collect form. Those not disabled are also free to join because we also help them," he explained.