Mohammed’s story of change
The story of Mohammed Abdullahi is one of a kind as it depicts the challenges people with disabilities face but through determination and access to information of their rights, persons with disabilities can help change our societies.
From his powerful voice filling the room, the confidence and how he articulates his statements, paint a clear picture that there is an ‘ability in the disability’, the 45-year-old, from Isiolo Kenya, boldly tells his life story, having been sponsored by the Lilliane Foundation, and the challenges he has faced as a person with a disability
“I was born in 1988, at Isiolo County Referral Hospital, as the second born in my family, I went to Ngaremara Primary School and then went to John Town High School where I finished my form four,” he said
Through zeal and quest for a better life, he was determined to get an education, which also came as a privilege through the support of Liliane Fonds. Abdullahi later joined Inorero University, where he studied Information Technology (IT), and later joined Thika Medical School, where he did Community Health and Development -Diploma.
“I am where I am because of the Lilliane Foundation, which brought me to the limelight at the time I was afraid of interacting with people due to my condition, most of them would view me as the odd one and some would even laugh at me and my self-esteem was suppressed but the Lilliane Foundation came to my aid and through them, I gained my strength and confidence and a person with a disability,” he narrated.
He thanked the Lilliane Foundation, through which he got education support and was able to get access to education and also learn to realize his rights as a person with a disability.
Mohammed, despite being disabled, has managed to vie for leadership positions under the national government, to represent his constituents of Isiolo North in the national assembly as a lawmaker, this dream was, motivated by his dedication to serving the people and championing persons with disabilities rights’ in his hometown.
He has always had his constituents’ well-being at heart, with a dream of representing them in the parliament someday, however, when he lost in the elections, he still focused as a leader, by advocating for the rights to access education, to children with disabilities, in Isiolo.
“I am an artist, and I sing bongo flava songs, being that I have a disability, I am not limited towards realizing my full potential, all of us are gifted differently; I do not put my disability as the main subject because I do not need the sympathy from any person but I always want to prove wrong the perceptions that the society has over people with disabilities,” he added.
