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Mr. Innocent Uzoma Anele, who is from Ihe in the Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, has pleaded for financial support to enable him put his skill, in shoe making business to work.
Anele who is blind, made this plead in an interview with East West Reporters on Friday, at a workshop organized by Keeping It Real Foundation KIR, in commemoration of this year’s International Day of People with Disabilities.
The father of two said, “I need empowerment, financially, these days things are very cost, the footwears I make if I sell them low cost, I sell N3,500.
“Please, I need mostly financial support, even for other skills I do, it is finance that is holding me down.”
Anele who said he came unsupported from Etche down to Odili Road, Port Harcourt for the training, explained that by attending, “trainings like this I will keep improving, because I am not expecting to grow just one day.”
Speaking on how he became virtually impaired, he said, “I was not born blind, I had this challenge 2015, it’s a long story, a very long story which I can’t be able to tell now, but the good part of it is that I have gone for my rehabilitation programme, and I want to be bold to challenge other persons in the larger society, so I need support, financially.
“I am married with two children. I live with my wife and children. It’s all about management, I have been trying my best and God also in heaven has been trying to keep me alive, it has not been easy, because sometimes you try to call some friends for help, they will tell you their own stories but that does not mean the person is no longer your friend, but all you have to do is understand what he is trying to tell you, then see how you can re-strategies.
“Sometimes, just like on Tuesday, I was going to Aggrey Road for the White Cane Day, a bus driver dropped me somewhere, where he dropped me I wasted a lot of time to get another taxi to go where I am going, because some persons when they see you they will not be able to carry you because they are believing that either you are coming to beg them money or you don’t have money to pay your transport, so, these are some of the challenges I do face.
“Another one, sometimes in family, some persons will be looking at you as if you are nobody, that is, you don’t have value again, you can only have value when you are with those that have the same challenge or those who are knowledgeable, and understands that yes these persons are still humans.”
For support kindly reach out to KIR Foundation for all enquires 
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