Visually Impaired Farmer Harvests 10 Bags of Rice, Says Disability Is No Excuse for Dependency

YOLA —By Ojoma Yusuf,Yola

A visually impaired farmer and Chairman of the Adamawa Youth Disabled Network, Billy Henry, has narrated how he overcame blindness to become a successful rice farmer, harvesting 10 bags of rice from his farm.

Henry, who has been farming rice for about four years, said his first harvest yielded more than five bags, while he increased his output to seven bags the following year before recording 10 bags in his latest harvest.

He said his journey into farming was driven by his determination to remain productive and independent despite his visual impairment.

Henry said he lost his sight while in Junior Secondary School Two when two classmates engaged in a fight and one of them threw a sugarcane at the other, but the object accidentally struck him in the eyes.

According to him, the injury marked the beginning of his struggle with visual impairment, as his parents took him to several hospitals in search of treatment.He said the family spent about four years seeking solutions to his condition but eventually accepted that his sight could not be restored.

“Four years of looking for solutions made me decide to face my challenge and move forward with my life,” he said.

Henry explained that he subsequently enrolled in special education at Jada before proceeding to Aminu Salihu College of Education, Azare, Bauchi State, where he successfully completed his studies.

He said his determination to succeed was strengthened by negative comments from people who told him that he was useless and would never amount to anything because of his visual impairment.

“I told myself that I can make it even in this situation. I can farm anything and I do my things myself,” he said.

The farmer said he had deliberately chosen not to become dependent on others because of his disability, stressing that every individual should strive to be responsible and contribute to the wellbeing of their family.

Henry also recalled that his disability became an issue when he was preparing to marry, saying his father-in-law questioned whether his daughter would be able to work and provide for the family because he was visually impaired.

He said the concern further motivated him to prove that his disability would not prevent him from taking responsibility for his family.

“I made up my mind that she would never regret marrying me. I will make sure I put food on my table,” he said.

Henry, who is married with a child, said his determination to work hard was largely motivated by his desire to provide for his family and ensure that his wife never regrets her decision to marry him.

He urged persons living with disabilities not to see their conditions as reasons to become dependent, calling on them to acquire skills, take responsibility and work hard to improve their lives.

“Disability should not warrant you to become a burden to people around you. Begging can make you more downcast. You do not have any excuse to be lazy. Take responsibility and work hard,” he said.