It was a clear demonstration of having ability in disability, when a blind Masters Student of the the School of Post Graduate Studies , University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Philomena Ifeanyichukwu Ukwueze , donated some items she personally produced to Enugu state Government-owned TAMAR-SARC,(Centre for rape and sexually abused victims) as part of her support to the upgrade of TAMAR -SARC.
Similarly, the Executive Director of Non- Governmental Organizations, Heroine Women Foundation and Women Support Women (WOSUWO),Ambassador Onyinye Mammah, redeemed the pledge of a cash donation she made in the last public private partnership programme organized by Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Justice Network,SJN, to support the upgrade of TAMAR-SARC , Enugu.
Pix1- Onah(L) Ukwueze( M) Obiegue (R)
Presenting the items which included Tablet Soaps, Disinfectant, Liquid soap , she personally produced on Monday, March 11, to the TAMAR-SARC Center manager, Evelyn Onah, at TAMAR-SARC, Enugu, the Post graduate blind student/ Entrepreneur and Managing Director , Deep Love Company, Philomena Ukwueze, said she made the donations inorder to encourage TAMAR -SARC in the good works they were doing .
Pix- Ukwueze, UNN blind Entrepreneur Masters student
On what inspired her to go into production of the items, she said,” first, I am a graduate, unemployed . So, without doing anything and I heard of a place where they were training women and youths for free, so, I joined them and I learnt it. Ever since then, I have been producing. I have a company. The name of my company is Deep Love. It’s located at New G.R.A. .Trans Ekulu, Enugu, she said..
On how the business was going , Ukwueze who is a member of JONAPED, said she started production two years ago,in March 2022..
“It has not been easy but then, am not discouraged. Sometimes, when you are presenting the items to people at first instance, they will instead of considering the items,they will begin to look at your disability.What will this one do? But by the time the person test the product, use the product, I won’t be the one to tell the person to come because of the quality.
” The major thing I would want the government to do for me is to provide equipment for me, because for now, am still doing manual production and it is not really healthy to my health because it has to do with chemicals and I turned them with stick.. I don’t have mixer, and I don’t have the sealing machine. All these are the things that will malke it easy for me”.
Pix- Ukwueze
Ukwueze adviced the youths, especially, those of them that are abled , saying, “look at me, am a good example to them. I cannot see light. So, if someone who cannot see at all can make something like these, then what about somebody that has his eyes, ears complete? You don’t have any excuse. You don’t have to wait for your parents, you don’t wait for aunties, uncles. You don’t wait for government, look for something. Hand work is one of the things that helps anybody anywhere. Look for something to learn and start doing and before you will know it, those people that you will call and they will ignore your call will be the ones checking on you”, she said..
To the people that are disabled, Ukwueze said, “disability is not a limitation. The worst disability is the disability of the mind when you tell yourself you are disabled but when you pick it up and see it as a challenge, you challenge that challenge and you will conquer. So, you shouldn’t be a liability to people around you because you are disabled. I graduated from the University of Ibadan and am currently doing my Post Graduate Studies in UNN, Mental and Emotional Health Education , under Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education ,UNN, that’s my Masters,” she said.
Also speaking, during her presentation of a cash donation to TAMAR-SARC, the Executive Director, Heroine Women Foundation and Women Support Women (WOSUWO), Ambassador Onyinye Mammah, said it was a personal donation she made
She frowned at the way the police made things difficult for witnesses and called on the Commissioner for Children , Gender and Social Development to liaise with the police to make police certification and witness box free inorder to make handling of rape issues easy
The donors visited TAMAR-SARC along the state Cordinator of Sexual and Gender- based Violence Justice Network (SJN), Margaret Obiegue.
Earlier in her opening remarks, the Enugu state Coordinator of SJN, Margaret Obiegue said,” the donations by Philomena and Ambassador Mama were the outcome of the public private partnership program held in January,2024 in Enugu and the donors made pledges to support TAMAR- SARC which they redeemed.
She encouraged other bodies that made pledges to redeem their pledges. Obiegue appealed for more support for TAMAR-SARC, saying, ‘one can sponsor any sensitization programme or even give out airtime for awareness on TAMAR-SARC.
She appealed to other stakeholders,, association and organisations to support in the upgrade of TAMAR-SARC .
In a brief remarks, the Center manager ,TAMAR- SARC,Enugu, Evelyn Onah, thanked Philomena and Ambassador Mama, for the support given to the Centre. She prayed God to bless them.
Author- Maureen Ikpeam