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HIDDEN FLAMES PART ONE (Esther Maduka's story)
by Precious Uka
“Disability is not inability”, she said as she brought her speech to a closure.
Massive ovations rend the air while she bowed her head as a sign of courtesy to her
listeners. For the past forty-five minutes, she had been the eye of cynosure as she
delivered a speech on;the unharnessed treasure in you’. She spoke with such
confidence that her listeners were bewildered at the wisdom and courage she
possessed.
This happened during the CWD conference with the theme “Maximizing your
potential"
CWD is an abbreviation for "children with disabilities;, it was established in 2017 by
a non-governmental organization and her aim was to help and support all children
with disabilities.
This was her second conference and Esther Maduka was invited to speak at the event.
Esther Maduka was a beautiful young girl of fifteen gifted in oratory but had been
on a wheel chair since she was five years old, as a result of the poliomyelitis she
suffered from at age three.
Esther Maduka was a genius. Though she was physically disabled and could not
walk with her legs like every other person, she had a greater flame which always
brought her to the limelight.
Esther was an exceptional orator who always left her listeners awed and in thoughts
too. Her flame began as a spark at the age of twelve (12) when she started
representing her school in debates and other competitions.
She believed there were no limitations to a persons destiny except that which he sets
for himself. This was her best quote and it had kept her going.
However, Esther Maduka was not without challenges too; countless times, she
had been mocked and verbally insulted by her siblings and relatives as a result of her
disability and because she could not defend herself.
Growing up for Esther had not been easy and without stress as she always needed
some form of assistance before she could do certain things, in spite of this, she still
had her high and positive self esteem, she never allowed whatever anyone said to
demoralize her or quench her flame; she was rather motivated by the ill-treatments
she received.
This story is typical of an African child living with one disability or the other.
Having a disability is not a platform for failure. We can achieve greater heights even
with them and it all lies in first discovering our hidden flame, that special thing we’re
gifted in, and making the best out of it.
To every disabled person, I say, you are not mediocre! You’re meant for the top too!