Week one has been filled with so many wonderful things; we
have met so many people and had so many interesting experiences it is hard to
pinpoint just one. Bringing home a
live chicken from the market certainly needs a mention, but I think our focus
group session with the Disabled Persons’ Organisation (DPO) in Fumbisi might
just top it.
As part of our project we are researching how people with
disabilities might be able to be included into the Feok festival in December,
and so we held a focus group in Fumbisi where we met so many wonderful
people. Unfortunately, many of
these people are discriminated against by society; hidden away, ignored, and
prevented from accessing local services, cultural activities, or playing a
contributive role in society. We
asked them questions about their skills, and ways they could participate in the
Feok festival, we talked to them about the issues they face as a disabled
person, and what benefits they might receive by taking part in the
festival.
There was overwhelming
support for our project, and although I left feeling they had extraordinarily,
and perhaps unrealistically high expectations of us, I also felt that this
project was more than helping them participate in a song and dance; this
project is about giving them a voice and allowing them to be valuable members
of society. At times I felt
incredibly emotional as members of the group told stories about being treated
in the hospital car park because of the poor access facilities, or how feel
they may as well be dead, but mainly from their spirit and determination to
fight back. I was holding back
tears when the group burst into song, women ululated
their appreciation, and as men and women of all ages and abilities clapped and
danced to the music. It is a
memory that will stay with me for a long time.
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