Polio stole my legs, but now I have a new lease of life, says single mum

Despite being physically disabled, Joyce Njuguna, is one determined lady. She has refused to be labelled a loser and a beggar and is determined to make a decent living despite the many odds against her.

A polio attack at infancy has forced Ms Njuguna to move around using crutches.

“I was born normal, but unfortunately at eight months, I got a polio attack which weakened my legs. Because of that setback, my legs lost their stability forcing me to use crutches from an early age,” the 38-year-old woman narrates to The Standard on Sunday.

Growing up with disability has not been easy, but the single mother of two has overcome many odds and now she is a 'saloonist' a job able to sustain her family.

“Being a hair dresser requires me to stand for long which is stressful for me because I use crutches. I have had to endure that pain and discomfort for years because I have to put food on the table,” says Njuguna.

But lucky for her, she no longer has to endure that pain of standing for endless hours as she attends to her clients.

The bubbly woman, recently received a customised tri-cycle and goods worth over Sh5,000 courtesy of a project that empowers persons living with disability.

Njuguna is among 39 beneficiaries of the Niko Fiti-Ability Beyond Disability Campaign spearheaded by Kenya Reinsurance Corporation Ltd (Kenya Re).

“This is a dream come true for me. Now I can do my work in peace and comfort. I can also move around easily as I engage in my business,” says Njuguna who resides in Nairobi’s Githurai.

Other beneficiaries include Timoi Itaken (34) and Charity Wamboi (38). Itaken also lost use of his legs following a polio attack when he was eight years old and like other persons living with disability, he has faced stigma and discrimination.

“People look at me and assume I cannot do anything constructive. They think I will ask for their money,” says Itaken.

The Niko Fiti Campaign has donated over 2,000 mobility devices that include tricycles, wheelchairs, special seats, crutches and prosthetic arms and legs, to persons with disability, in various counties since its inception in 2011.

Kenya Re Managing Director Jadiah Mwarania says other than just giving mobility devices, the company saw the need to empower persons with disability economically so that they can be independent.

“After giving them the mobility devices, we thought it was necessary to give them a boost so that they can start an income generating activity,” said Mwarania while handing over 40 tri-cycles in Kasarani yesterday.

He disclosed that they have distributed 160 of the mobility aids and devices to people in Kamukunji, Kibera and Kasarani.

The beneficiaries go through a training course on basic principles of governance, book keeping and basic finance to help them run profitable businesses. Kenya Re is running the campaign in partnership with the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya and Standard Group as the media partner.