Disability Honored

‘Life is what you make from the choices you have’. Those are the silent words that have kept 41 year old Lucy Nabachoe on her toes for the better part of her life. This is an admirable woman with overwhelming confidence to be the best that she can be, despite of her special condition.

Lucy was born deaf and dumb from poor parents. Her condition subjected her to social discrimination that denied her an opportunity to be like her peer. She never attended school which made her miss on so many opportunities that school avails to other girls.

As a result of her family background Lucy grew up knowing that for her to have a meal; she must make a daily struggle. Together with her mother and her siblings they worked on people’s farms for them to afford meals and other basic necessities. Prayers have been their source of inspiration and cohesion.

Lucy was impregnated in her teenage and she got a bouncing baby girl who unfortunately is also deaf and dumb. This did not deter her from being a loving mother despite not being married to the father of her daughter. She toiled and moiled to ensure that her baby got the best of what she could afford in order for her to feel appreciated.

Ten years later she got another baby girl who is also deaf and dumb. Once more she had a heartbreak; the man responsible for her pregnancy did not marry her. The condition she was in became so stressing especially because she is from a poor family that can hardly afford three meals in a day.

At this juncture, she realized that there is more to life than feeling sorry for herself. She picked the broken pieces of her life, patched them together, and decided that her daughters must live a better life than what she has.

Lucy started plaiting women’s hair and with time she realized that it was that special hidden talent in her. Although she was occasionally exploited by some clients, but she made money that could buy a bar of soap or a jar of petroleum jelly for her girls. Through her hair-doing business, she has been able to buy paraffin for the tin lamp around which she sits with her girls at night to share their day’s experiences.

Besides making hair, Lucy is extremely hard-working on farm-work and she is always booked whenever farmers in her neighborhood need neat work. She ploughs for them, plants with them, weeds, harvests, and stores the products. Her palms are rough and cracked but she is proud of showing them off. Through her meager wages, she feeds and dresses her daughters decently.

At the age of 8, her young daughter taken in by a relative, and she now goes to a special school for the deaf. The girl is currently in grade two after going through three years of pre-school. It is amazing that this girl is exceptionally bright academically, never having been position two in her class. She is always in the first position with numerous prizes from her school to show off for her outstanding effort.

Although she did not attend school, this mother appreciates the value of education to a girl-child. Lucy has been a very supportive mother to the education of her daughter. Even if she does not pay the fee for her education because her relative does it, but she ensures that her girl never feels abandoned. During the three months of school, she works hard on farms and plaiting women’s hair to make money for her daughter’s shopping for school.

With her able hands, Lucy dresses her girls decently, feeds them on a balanced diet, and is able to cater for their medical bills among other needs. She is an incredible woman whose love for her children cannot be spoken in audible words but has a loud echo.

I will honor Lucy for being a woman whose will to be great is magnitude. I honor her on behalf of her daughters who have no audible voice to tell her how much she is significant to their lives. For the two beautiful girls, Lucy must be honored because unlike you and me, the smiling beauties cannot type on the computer just yet. Let me listen for them on issues that affect women because they need an ambassador. The future is definitely bright for this family, especially in the lenses of Lucy’s little brilliant girl, Victoria Nafuna. Disability seizes being inability when one is determined to bring out the best in his/herself. I am proud of you Lucy and for you and other women with disabilities, I will raise my voice.