By Lola Ayanda
17-year-old Ummar Idirisa is a teenager with lots of confidence; she pokes at her classmates, playfully order them to toss her around in her wheelchair. Yes, she is confined to the wheelchair as a result of a badly treated measles infection as a child bout of measles when she was a child.
Yet, Ummar made the AbdulRasheed Adisa Raji Special Secondary School, in Sokoto state proud when she scored credit pass in all her subjects at the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), while she was in Senior Secondary School 2.
Ummar at age 5, could not access quality healthcare on time when the measles struck and became unable to walk again.
At the beginning of her education, it was a bit easy for her as her mother was with her most of the time. But that would be interrupted when her mother died.
“I was only 10 years old when my Mummy died; it was very difficult for me because I had lost my Daddy when I was a toddler. My Mummy was my only motivation to go to school because she would encourage me when children of my age mock me because of my condition,” said Ummar.
Somehow, Ummar found the courage to continue her education. The Sokoto state’s special secondary school new policy on inclusive education was a motivating factor.
“I mingle easily with other students, we play together, we learn together. It is better than my experience before I came to this school. I enjoyed the boarding school here because of the cooperation and understanding of the teachers and the students,” she said.
Ummar recounts moments of stigma and discrimination during her primary school, where she was constantly teased and emotionally bullied by other students.
“In my primary school, I use to face a lot of teasing and name-calling from other students, it used to be discouraging though I try to fight back,” she said.
Ummar was badly affected during the Covid-19 pandemic as she found it a bit difficult to study during the lockdown.
“It was very difficult learning during the school lockdown. My elder sister whom I live with could not afford a phone that enables internet connection, we could not even eat well during that period” she said.
