


Terry Cullen
Apr 18, 2023
South Sudan
Categories:
People with Disabilities, Women, Polio, Discrimination, Prejudice, Children, Health
Meet Akujo Mary. She is 39 years old and lives in South Sudan, where the average income is USD 460 per year (Source: worlddata.info). She is also a polio survivor and a widow with three children.
Akujo's parents lost four other children during childbirth. Before Akujo was one year old, the doctors diagnosed her with polio (or poliomyelitis). This highly contagious viral disease can cause paralysis.
Growing up, Akujo faced intense prejudice and discrimination from the community and her family. Her mother often told her she was disabled, useless, and a burden to the family.
Akujo met and married a man. She moved to a small town with her husband, who ran a business. She gave birth to three children. Determined to give her children the best chance for a healthy future, Akujo was diligent about prenatal care and vaccinations and gave birth in a hospital.
Sadly, Akujo's husband succumbed to an illness, leaving her a widow.
In 2020, Akujo received a gift of a wheelchair giving her much more mobility. She is determined not to let her disability define her or her potential, and she advocates for others to do the same. She runs a business selling vegetables and is looking to open another business. She financially supports her children and her parents and is saving money to send her children to university.
Akujo is a survivor in many respects of the word. We can be inspired and learn much about resiliency through her story.
Others are not successful. In our local communities, there are people with disabilities who live in poverty and discrimination, and fail to thrive. Many are hidden from public view because they lack the mobility and financial means to participate in daily life.
What can you do locally to help lift them up and support their resiliency and contribution to society? First, understand the "big picture" conditions people with disabilities face.
1. Persons with a disability will likely have limited opportunities to earn income and often have increased medical expenses.
2. There are many other added costs of living for people with disabilities. A power wheelchair, for example, can cost a lot of money, likewise for personal care attendants.
3. There is a lack of accessible and affordable transportation and housing options for people with disabilities. Many cannot drive a vehicle. Many have experienced homelessness.
4. Lack of services or lack of access to services.
5. Lack of employment opportunities.
Within this list of needs are many opportunities to help make a difference in your community. Consider contributing resources to organizations trying to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. There are many things a volunteer can do, from driving people to doctor's appointments to providing volunteer personal care.
By getting involved with an established organization, you can see firsthand the challenges people face and the opportunity to make friends with some. You may have a unique opportunity to partner with individuals with disabilities and help them find housing or a job or tutor them to acquire new skills and knowledge. This one-on-one connection is a powerful and moving experience. It takes time to develop this relationship, and you must build trust and confidence. Patience and commitment are crucial to success.
Like many challenges in our local communities, the solutions seem daunting and overwhelming, but they are possible. Each of us can make a difference, not just in the lives of others, but in our own too.
Photo by Michele Ferrari on Pexels.
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Catalog #:
0423.100.03.041723