“Begging no longer pays, the charity business is now going down because of the economic hardship many people face.”
By Ifeoluwa Adediran,
Sitting on his locally-made wheelchair at the busy Marina road, near Balogun market in Lagos Island, Bello Usman beckons to any passerby who takes the slightest glance at his goods: a heap of wrist beads, knuckle rings, key holders, ID card holders, pens, and other material.
A physically-challenged man, Mr Usman said he went into business to cater for his needs and that of his family as begging for alms was no longer paying.
The father of five said he had polio when he was young and has since been unable to use his feet.
“I pay school fees, I take care of my family,” Mr Usman, 38, said proudly.
Although there are several persons with disabilities (PWDs) begging on the streets of Lagos, just like in every other state, there are many others who have turned to petty jobs for survival.
‘Begging no longer pays’
Mohammed Zinna, the coordinator of the Physically Challenged Empowerment Initiative (PCEI), said many PWDs now venture into petty businesses for survival.
“Begging no longer pays, the charity business is now going down because of the economic hardship many people face,” he said.
“Many people who still beg try to sell in addition, this is why you see them selling things like handkerchiefs, sweets, and bitter kola in traffic.”
Mr Usman said he started alms-begging while in Ibadan and later relocated to Lagos to learn how to make and repair shoes. He still moves around with an identity card issued him in 2000 when he was undergoing an education/skill acquisition programme organized by Friends of Disabled Nigeria.