By JOSEPHINE IGBINOVIA

A graduate of English from the University of Lagos,  Mrs.Biachi Valentina Okoro is the Head Teacher at Lagos-based Ile-Anu Group of Schools for Physically Challenged Children. Recently in a chat with Vista Woman, this mother of four who hails from Imo State bemoaned the repulsive attitude some Nigerians have towards children with disabilities.
Hear her:

Before I joined Ile-Anu Group of Schools three years ago, I had not worked with such a vast number of physically challenged children. The school is actually a pre-school which takes children who are between the ages of three to ten. Because they are special children, what we basically teach them are skills. As soon as they outgrow the pre-school, we transfer them to Atunda Olu Primary School which is also for special children. At Ile-Anu, we have children with  Down’s Syndrome, Autism, etc/ and what have you.

Though challenging, caring for these children is fulfilling. Some of them relieve themselves on their bodies, and we have to clean them up. Some of them who have mental challenges  are not able to maintain sanitary hygiene. As teachers, we now have to patiently teach them to  do the right thing. I think caring for special children is a call for me, because if not for the grace to do so, anyone who enters into the field may have no choice but to opt out immediately due to the some-what irritating things we  regularly have to handle.

Ile-Anu is not a home; it’s a school that is there to help the parents of these children, so that they’re able to  pursue their careers or businesses. You know, some of these parents are unable to  leave their children alone in the house even for a few minutes.

So, when they bring them to a place like Ile-Anu where the children will be at school from morning till about 3pm, they will be able to go do other things in-between those hours.

Pupils’ progress
Our pupils at Ile-Anu are really doing well. Some of them have hands and limbs that are very weak. Therefore, they have to have physiotherapy  from time to time. There’s one for instance who has made such impressive progress.
Formerly, she would have to be fed her food, but after we started teaching her to draw with pencils, she began to learn how to eat by herself. Now, she feeds herself, and doesn’t have to depend on anybody for that. Though she messes up everywhere while feeding herself, the fact remains that she no longer has to depend on anybody to help her eat; especially if her parents are not around her.

I must say one is discouraged sometimes  with the attitude of some parents towards their challenged children. Some of them(parents)just want to get away from their children! This contributed to the reason the management decided that we pick our pupils from their homes in the morning with our bus because some parents don’t mind locking them up in the room when going to their places of work.  We’re however hoping that government would provide a bigger bus for us so that we can take people who live outside Surulere and its environ.

Pupils of Greenwood School
On the other hand, I must testify that the attitude of some children towards special children is encouraging. For instance, the pupils of  Greenwood School attend every concert we put up, and they play and give gifts to the special children.

I commend the management of Greenwood School for this initiative because it is important to let other children know the physically-challenged children are part of our society.  When later in life the latter are in decision-making positions, they will be eager to make policies that will favour special people.

The need for more awareness
You know, when I was in school, it never occurred to me that I will work with special children. That’s why I say it’s a call; if you do not have sympathy, you can’t work with special children. This is why I’m advising that parents and regular children accept these special children with sympathy. More awareness need to be created for people to know that such children are part and parcel of our society.

A lot of Nigerians are blessed but they see no reason why they should also be a blessing to special children. The bus we have for instance was single-handedly given to us by Mrs.Animashaun on her birthday three years ago. She decided that instead of celebrating amidst pomps and pageantries, she would be a blessing to the under privileged!
I think more Nigerians should take a cue from that and learn to remember the less privileged each time we want to celebrate certain occasions.

This woman also sends us money  every year! We need people like her. People really need to make it a point of duty to occasionally provide for less privileged children. They can maybe help with food, clothing, to mention but a few.

We are a charity school without government’s support. So what we do to raise fund for the school is a concert which we organise yearly in December. The money realised is not always much. Hence, we also welcome individuals who come to donate specially to us. ’