Deaconess Adedoyin Beyioku-Alase, popularly known as Mama Deaf among Deaf people in Nigeria is a living legend in the community. She has become folklore. Mama Deaf could fit into the giant shoes of past Deaf Leaders like Rev. Andrew Foster and Dr. P Mba, and she would not feel uneasy or ‘unfit’. Although without advanced degrees, Mama Deaf has touched more lives, influenced more momentous public policies, and instituted big, big changes and positivity in the Nigerian Deaf Community.
During the week, the Deaf Deaconess had clocked 66! A large number of people and institutions—in and outside of the Deaf Community in Nigeria and around the world—had heartily celebrated Mama’s birthday anniversary. If you Googled ‘Mama Deaf Birthday’ on September 12, you would be overwhelmed by the sheer force of light that this amazing woman naturally epitomizes. And you’d realize what an iconic Deaf Personality Mama Deaf truly is.
Unlike other Deaf Greats such as African-American Andrew Forster and Nigerian Dr. Mba, personally, I have seen the light and greatness of Mama Deaf very up close. I hadn’t read about her like I did others. Day after day, week after week, year after year, I have spent an amazing amount of time with Mama Deaf.
One thing I have consistently observed during our interaction—Mama Deaf is simply a woman of incredible integrity. There’s never been anything like it.
The enormity of Mama’s selfless mark on the most vulnerable people of Nigeria, as well as his peculiar–novel style of inspiration—for our Deaf women in particular–is truly legendary. She’s a cool woman with a big heart. Mama Deaf has tirelessly traveled and worked to make life better for every single Deaf girl in Nigeria. With a passion for uplifting women and humanity, the National Women Leader of APC PWD Support Group has tirelessly planted several Deaf Women Associations in all the Zones of Nigeria.
And she hasn’t stopped working!
The Deaf Deaconess, at 66, remains actively and persistently committed to ensuring full, unadulterated inclusion of us all, and to improving individual’s socio-economic opportunities in a world that’s largely designed for the nondisabled.
That’s the mark of true greatness. The Nigerian Deaf and Disabled community are extraordinarily proud of Mama Deaf for her exemplary leadership and her commitment to the betterment of every Deaf girl and woman in the community, regardless of who we are, who we worship, including our ethnicity, ideas, and political affiliation.
In celebration of Mama’s Birthday Anniversary, we have gone to lengths to bring up several ‘unique sides’ to Mama’s public persona—far different than what the public knows the Deaf deaconess to be.
These are top secrets!
- Mama Deaf is “Ajala travel all over the world”. Mama can travel for Africa. She is a globetrotter who travels far and wide– traveling frequently to a great variety of distant destinations in and out of Nigeria. Just when you assume Mama’s long gone, she’s back in an hour and you won’t even know she had been in the air for all day. Mama is light, fast, and imperceptible. She has traveled over 6,0000 miles in the last 6 months according to estimates done by this writer based on periodic conversations with her. Mama, at 66, can get to five different destinations in a single day. “I don’t sit in one place. I love traveling a lot.” Mama gushed in one of my convo with her. From where she gets this energy, we just don’t know.
- Mama Deaf’s first son is also Deaf. Mr. Ayoade Beyioku-Alase is Deaf. The Abuja-based scholastic math teacher is also married to a wonderful Deaf woman. Mama and Family are a Deaf family with Capital Letter D. Deaf. Unresolved issues remain among a lot of people, including experts and researchers concerning this unusual genetic event.
- Mama Deaf’s integrity is unparalleled. There are people with integrity in words. And there are others with integrity in action. Mama is for the latter. Mama doesn’t give a damn who you are; she will tell it and do it the right way. Mama isn’t influenced by popular opinions. “I don’t hide under lies.” Mama would stress in one of our conversations.
- Mama has over a hundred adopted children and arguably knows every Deaf person by the first name. While she has four biological grown children of her own, Mama has over a hundred adopted children strewn all over the Federation. And she knows every Deal person by name. Her mental faculties are so sharp; you’d wonder if she was a goddess with supernatural powers.
- Mama Deaf is the sole planter of all Deaf women associations in all the geopolitical zones in Nigeria. This tells of this amazing woman’s towering intellect and leadership ingenuity.
- Mama is a great time manager and a good planner. Mama has her travel plans all planned out and prepped way, way ahead of time. Like the President of the United States whose detours and itinerary are well known well in advance, Mama can reel out her travel schedule for the next several weeks.
- Mama Deaf has excellent communication skills. You’re wrong if you assume Mama Deaf is deprived of language because she’s deaf and elderly. Mama can hold a conversation centering on virtually any topic—be it economics, politics, social, education, or the role of our Deaf women in nation-building. Mama’s words are fun, incredibly clear, and full of wisdom. Her grammatical flawlessness is something you aren’t going to forget long after you’ve had a conversation with her.