Posted by By FEMI OLAOLUWA on
Sunday Adejor's pathetic journey to the world of blindness is a classical story of poverty and ignorance. Hear him: 'I was not born blind, but found myself in this condition when I was about eight years old.
• How parents' ignorance caused his plight
• Set to launch new book
Sunday Adejor's pathetic journey to the world of blindness is a classical story of poverty and ignorance. Hear him: 'I was not born blind, but found myself in this condition when I was about eight years old.
I want to believe that poverty and illiteracy of my parents contributed mainly to my sight problem. Instead of rushing me to the hospital when the sight problem started, they kept moving me from one herbalist to another until there was no remedy."
Sunday Adejor who is on temporary appointment with Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi, Lagos also spoke to the Sunday Sun on the October, 2004 'twin tragedy" (the death the then First Lady, Stella Obasanjo and 117 Bellview plane crash) marred his book launch. 'I have not recovered from it till now, because many used that as excuse. Even after then, I expected many of them to fulfill their promise, but nothing much has been done in that direction."
Journey to the world of blindness
'I was born about 35 years ago into the family of Mr./Mrs. Adejor in Offi Local Government, Kogi State. I was in primary school then and was one of the brilliant pupils in my class. My ambition was to proceed to the zenith of my educational career. This dream made me to work hard to attain the desired standard not knowing that the devil was also busy designing his wicked plan against me. My sight problem started when I was about eight years old. I want to believe that poverty and illiteracy of my parents contributed mainly to my blind condition.
Instead of rushing me to the hospital when the sight problem started, I was moved from one herbalist to another until there was no remedy. Immediately I lost my sight, my life ambition became frustrated. And the very year I became blind, my parents were divorced and the possibility of reconciling them appeared impossible because they both took firm stand to stay apart. I tried to reconcile them but I was too small to handle such marital problem. The way forward to my life dream became impossible to my imagination. I was faced with two problems: my sight problem and became a child from a broken home."
Ray of hope
'My life ambition became almost frustrated due to erroneous belief of many (people who could be an assistance) that a blind man can't achieve any educational ambition. But I took my refuge in the Lord: drew closer to God. I never know there was school for the blind, but the Almighty used one of His servants, as an instrument to turn the impossible the other way round. He used one Daniel Agada to take my name to Wusasa-Zaria in Kaduna State and enlisted me in the Hope for the Blind, Zaria. The organization is designed for educating the blind people out how to read and write in Braille. He made all the arrangements for my admission and he succeeded before he informed me.
'The school started sending cassette, Braille, calendar and magazines to me as the awareness. The same Christian Brother arranged for a convenient and conductive learning environment for me in Zaira before he came home to arrange for my travelling to the school. It was like a dream when I started learning till I got used to reading and writing. Not only that, I have become a professional in teaching others how to read and write through Braille. I'm a living testimony of why people should not give up in the face of whatever problem they have ni life. I have gone through hell. I have faced a lot of problems with nobody to turn to. I thank God for my encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. God did not only make my educational dream true, but also instituted a permanent reconciliation between my parents to become a happy home again."
Flopped book launch
Sunday also got frustrated at the time he prepared to launch the book titled 'Delay is not denial", which he spent years to write and published on credit. Despite his effort to intimate people to attend the book launch, the day turned out to be less than a success due to the mood in the nation then. 'Many of the high personalities I invited in Lagos and Abuja could not turn up because of the unexpected that happened.
This include the demise of the former First Lady, Mrs Stella Obasanjo and the illfated Bellview plane crash. I had visited offices of many Ministers in Abuja. Even the Director of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Abuja arranged an interview for me in one of their network programmes. But I was surprised that many used the death of the then first lady as excuse. This is because even after then, I expected some to fulfill their promises, but nothing much has been done in that direction.
Appeal
'I need sponsorships to reprint and promote the circulation of the book and publish other manuscripts I have into books. My vision is to be an encouragement to people especially the physically challenged people. I want to be financially buoyant to cater for my family and assist other handicapped colleagues to learn any trade instead of begging. As preacher of the Gospel, I always travel from one place to another not only to win souls for Christ, but also teaching people, especially the physically challenged people how to read and write Braille."
We, the physically challenged people don't need pity but encouragement. The high level of poverty and ignorance in the country has made many to result to begging."