Source:  [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDi9kGgYgqc&feature=related]

Pamela  Sabwami is a social entrepreneur, teacher and activist from Nairobi Kenya. She learned braille in her later life and received training as teacher. She travelled to India in 2010 to receive further training on social entrepreneurship. She is opening a preparatory school for blind children. She wants them to take them out from prejudiced lives, and teach them braille and other mobility skills for independent living.

She talked about her experience as a grown up, trying to learn braille, she says- it was not easy for her. Mobility is also an issue, and she also needs lot of support for her project in Kibera slums. However, she is hopeful, one day all blind children of her country will live independent lives. Blind children wouldn’t not be expected to beg for money on the streets, as they do right now. She believes a decent life will only be possible, if a child learns to read and write. Braille is necessary tool for blind children, through which they can read and write almost everything.  Learning Braille could be challenging, but not so much for young minds. She also believes that a person who has disabilities would be more understanding and patient with the child with disabilities. Everybody learns in their own way and pace, so she also emphasizes on the quality than quantity too much too soon.

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Commentary by Mohua Chatterjee -

I chose this story, because she is from a developing nation where a blind person is often treated as liability and he/she is expected to be on welfare than living independent lives. It has really bothered me when I grew up, it still does. I am often been told-“what can you do, as its God’s will”. I think Pamela Sabwami is an example of how people could turn their so called “bad luck” or “god’s will” into resource and lighten up other people’s lives.  She would be a future example for activist of developing nations, where rights for disabled people are not taken seriously, yet.