My visual impairment is not a disability

He walks towards you with his hand outstretched for a warm greeting as an infectious smile lights up his face. It is obvious that 36-year-old Chrisantus Waswa’s easy going demeanour makes it hard for strangers to believe that he is visually impaired.

Waswa was a normal child, playful and eager to learn. Everything — from toys, playing football, demanding toy pistols, rugby balls — amused him so much that he was adored by those who knew him.

He never thought that his life would take a different turn until an accident blinded him. He was 14 at the time and was preparing for an inter-school football competition.

“I was playing with my fellow pupils. When I was about to head the ball, it hit my right eye, damaging it,” said Waswa.

COMPLETE BLINDNESS

While he was undergoing treatment at the Kakamega Provincial Hospital, he lost sight in his left eye.

“I went for an eye operation twice at the hospital and while undergoing treatment, the left eye got worse, resulting in complete blindness,” said Waswa.

The doctors recommended that he enrol at the Kibos School for the Visually Impaired in Riat, Kisumu, but his parents were unable to do so due to financial constraints.

He could not get his medication and his education came to a standstill for three years.

BACK TO SCHOOL

In 1992, the office of the integration programme for education in Bungoma County facilitated his going back to school.

“I was overwhelmed when I got the news that I was going back to school. They provided the materials for my schooling and all that I needed to facilitate my learning during that period,” he added.

He went back to his previous school, Namamuka Primary School, in the same class he was before, but now as a disabled pupil.

With help from a teacher who was trained in how to use the braille machine, he did not experience any problems apart from the initial stigma.

“Through my good performance, I was able to win the hearts of many pupils and teachers. I became popular and dear to many and I was always the top pupil. I could do anything apart from seeing,” he said.

He did his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination and emerged top in all the subjects in the county.

B PLAIN

In 1996, he joined Bungoma High School, where he completed his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination and scored a mean grade of B plain with 71 points.

“Life at secondary school level was a bit easier and better because everyone was mature and with the help of all the students, who would want to escort me to all the corners of the school compound, I was able to stay healthy,” Waswa.

The only challenge he said he faced in secondary school was reading his set books.

“By listening to a tape recording of the set books, I was good, but at times my friends would dictate as I wrote down the points I thought were important. I used the braille machine I acquired from the school,” he noted.

He joined Kenyatta University to study Kiswahili and history. His fees were paid by the Kenya Society for the Blind and well-wishers.

INDUSTRIOUS STUDENT AWARD
In 2006, he graduated with an honours degree and won the award for the most hardworking student of the year.

Thanks to a rule at Bungoma High School at the time that made it compulsory for students with special needs to take home science as a subject, Waswa learnt to be self-reliant.

“Taking the subject was a plus because when I got to university, I did not have a problem doing my chores. I could cook for myself, wash, and do anything that a normal person could do. The foundation prepared me well and I can survive in any environment,” added Waswa.

SCALING MT KILIMANJARO
He uses the braille machine to set examinations, prepare marking schemes, and even make notes for his lessons.

“The braille machine has become part of my life. Without it, my work would not be at the standard that I expect,” he added.

Still, he faces challenges. Waswa says he is not able to read Kiswahili set books, which is part of his duties. But with the help of his tutor, who dictates the notes, he is able to write down the important points on his braille machine.

The tutor also helps him mark exams, although sometimes his colleagues help him. His visual impairment has not held him back from doing many of the things he has wanted to do.

After secondary school, through the help of Sight Savers International, he climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in 1999.

“It is not easy to get to the peak of a mountain you cannot see, but I managed. It took us five days to go up and three days to descend. We found ourselves in Moshi in Tanzania and I was awarded for the good job I did,” he recalled.

REJECTED BY EMPLOYERS

After graduation, he went back to his former high school, where he taught for five years.

His salary was paid by the school’s board of governors. The school’s principal would at times pay him extra for his commitment and hard work.

Waswa applied for many jobs but was turned down because of his visual impairment. He found out that many of his special education schoolmates suffered the same fate.

“I was frustrated. My siblings depended on me and what I was earning was not enough to sustain me and my family,” he lamented.

He recalls how he would attend interviews and emerge top, but would never be given the chance to show that he was a capable teacher.

“These experiences made me strong. I would have to push my way into some schools because they were not ready to work with disabled people,” he added.

When he heard that there was a chance at Mbakalo Friends Secondary School in Bungoma County, he decided to give it a try.

“This was my seventh interview, but I was very happy because the school’s principal was on my side and decided to give me a chance.

When he saw my qualifications, he was confident that I could bring change to his school,” he added.

EXCELLENT TEACHER

Waswa was posted to the school by the Teachers Service Commission, where he has been teaching for the past five years. The principal, Mr Habil Malika, describes him as a young man with exceptional potential.

“It would take me the whole day to describe Mr Waswa. His blindness does not make him disabled, it’s just a small thing that makes him look for other avenues to be more capable,” he says.

The principal admits that without Mr Waswa, the student would not perform well in the two subjects that he heads and that is why he supports him to make his work easier.

One might imagine that the students might want to take advantage of Waswa’s situation to misbehave during his lessons, but that is not the case.

He is a popular teacher and students would come knocking on his door if he is delayed for a lesson.

DEPARTMENT HEAD
He is currently the head of the creative arts department, which has drama and music, as well as being the guidance and counselling teacher.

He calls himself the father of the students.

He is the patron of the Kiswahili club and his two subjects, Kiswahili and history, are the best performed subjects in the school and Bungoma North District.

“The students and teachers are kind to me and hold my hand to lead the way. When I get out of class after the lesson, there is always someone willing to take me back to my office,” he says with a smile.

He enjoys participating in music festivals, having introduced music to the school.

In this year’s competition, two of his students went up to the national level.

MARRIAGE LIFE

Teaching has not been without its challenges, though. “The greatest challenge is getting books written in braille. They are not only rare, they are also expensive. One usually has to buy them. To cut costs, I usually just buy the normal ones,” he says.

When Waswa was attending a seminar in Bungoma, he met Jecinter, now his wife and best friend for the past eight years.

Jecinter teaches at a primary school in the area. “It was difficult for people to believe that I had married someone from our region, but I wanted someone who would look after my children. I needed a responsible wife and was not ashamed of what people said for we were happily married,” he added.

“After proposing, he gave me time to think it over. After praying about it for quite some time and considering how we both felt about each other, I said ‘Yes’, even though I received negative opinions from other people. I was convinced that Chrisantus was the right man for me,” says Jecinter.

DON'T FAVOUR ME

The couple has three sons. Jecinter manages all the family’s business, including the accounts.

“I needed someone who can be there for me at all the times, understands me, and give me the peace that I want at home. I have no regrets because my wife has all the qualities I need in a woman. I know when she is not happy and I know when she is happy. I can feel it from her voice,” he added.

He stated that even though he is disabled, he would rather people encouraged rather than favoured him.

“Being visually impaired should not stop me from achieving my goals. Instead, my ability should shine through.”

Confident of his place in the school, he says his students and colleagues would miss him if he left.