Being Broke During Lockdown Pushed Me To Contest, Winner Of Online Dramatist Contest, Damilola Mekuleyi

The six weeks total lockdown occasioned by the novel Coronavirus might have taken its toll on Nigerians psychologically and most especially economically.

Despite the partial lifting of the lockdown, many Nigerians are still counting their losses. But certainly not for Damilola Mekuleyi, a deaf person and winner of an online dramatist contest organised by Seams Consult.

Beaming in smiles for emerging winner of the contest, he told Inclusive News Network (INN) that the lockdown has been a blessing in disguise.

Damilola who lives in Lambe, Ogun State told INN that the lockdown situation had inspired him to join the contest, which eventually paid off.

According to him, the lockdown meant a stay-at-home order was in force and no means of going out to work.

“I was broke, there was no work and debts were piling up,” he recounts excitedly.

“I am so happy and overjoyed. It’s by God grace that I won this contest. At least I can pay off my debts to those who were there for me in my hard times due to the staying at home.”

Thanking the organisers for the award, Damilola said “I will want to thanks the @seams_consults team and the man behind it, Mr. Samuel James for this idea he caught.”

The contest was organised by seams-sign to showcase the beauty in sign language and present to the world raw talents in the deaf community.

Executive Director of Seams Consult, Samuel James in a chat with INN disclosed why he organised this kind of contest online and the motive behind it.

“I have always seen and appreciated Deaf talents. Being a Master at Performing Arts myself, I love to create platforms for Deaf performers too. This I have done on several occasions putting the Deaf and Sign language users out for public eyes and appreciation: A couple of National Competitions won with same platform. Presented an opportunity for a Deaf dancer and another Deaf Dramatist to perform with the National Troupe of Nigeria”.

“So organising this contest was an extension of past acts and actions. I wanted to showcase the beauty in Sign Language and present to the world raw talents in the Deaf Community that could be harvested for pure use.”

Asked why the focus of the contest is on the deaf, despite that there are other Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), he said, “Well, I found myself in the world of the Deaf more than 25years ago, and I fell in love with the people, I don’t just see myself in other cluster. I feel I have been sent to this particular cluster to love and live.”

Responding to a question if he has any plan for the group in the future apart from the just concluded contest, Samuel said it was not just a one off, disclosing that many more contests are in the offing.

He revealed that another contest is on the way.

“I announced it during the previous contest that the next contest will begin in few weeks’ time. However, this one is bigger and it is only for Deaf Dancers. It is Deaf Dance Challenge.”

For the just concluded contest, INN gathered that the winner, Damilola Mekuleyi beat 74 other online contestants and had received ₦16,000 as the winner of the contest, while the second winner Olaoluwa Bayonle, who is an interpreter, went home with ₦13,000.

Third place winner was Olayikanmi James also deaf, received ₦11,000; 4th winner, Ifeanyichukwu Ementa (deaf) went home with ₦9,000, while the last winner, Badru Mojisola Ganiya (deaf) took home ₦7,000.