Meet Abba Shehu Hussaini, Secretary General of the Kano State Assocciation of the Deaf (KSAD) and a notable figure within the deaf community. He shared his life journey into the world of the Deaf and aims for greater heights despite the odds.
He shared his story with our INN’s source.
Read on below..
“With regard to your question about me, historically, well I was born in Warwade Dam Village, Dutse LG Jigawa State in the year 1988.”
“At the age of 10, I was admitted to Dutse General hospital where I was under doctors/nurses’s care for about a week as a result of meningitis disease.
While I woke up, I unknowingly saw myself in the hospital surrounded by families and relatives.
On that very recuperating day, my mom spoke to me and I told her in a very low and weak voice “i can not hear you Ma”
My mom cried, and I took her hand and shook it while laying on my hospital bed and told her “don’t don’t my dear mom”
“That was the beginning of the day in which my families and I understood that I become completely deaf. That was the beginning of my coming to deaf world,” He disclosed.
“While I was discharged from the hospital and returned to my village settlement, I have to bear the painful feeling of being living in an isolated area where no single deaf person to live with as friend and from whom I will be taught how the deaf communicate (sign language). I frankly felt isolated very far.”
“I continue living life in such an isolated manner up to about two to three years before my clans decided to bring me to my uncle house here in Kano since at that time there is no deaf school in Jigawa State be it primary, Junior or Secondary.
That was how my new life began when I started my primary and Junior school at Special Education School, Tudun Maliki, School For the Deaf.”
“That was when my feeling of being isolated is becoming thing of the past.
That was when all my worries has become history,” he further informed INN informant.
“However, I did my secondary school at Rumfa College Kano (a hearing school) I was the only deaf student in the whole of that college without any interpretation service because while I finished my Junior Secondary School at Tudun Maliki school for the deaf,the school don’t have Secondary classes at that time.”
“Similarly, upon graduation from Rumfa College, I got admission at Kano State Polytechnic, School of Management Studies and met with many challenges because here also I was the only deaf student in my accounting class and the whole of the school. Here too without interpretation service, I chose to cope with lecturer’s handouts alone. That was what mostly helped me academically.”
“But with determination, patience, courage and hardwork I graduated successfully in the year 2013.”
“About a year and half after graduation, I got an automatic offer of pensionable appointment by the then Former Kano State Governor Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso together with some disabled folks,” he said
“About associations, I am the Secretary General of Kano State Association of The Deaf after I was elected and won. Currently I am still serving the association for the next 3 years after I was re-elected last year and won again.
I am also the Secretary of the Kano State Branch of the Nigeria Deaf Sports Federation.”
“Additionally, the Secretary of the Kano State Branch of Association of Deaf Muslims In Nigeria (ADMUN) is me.” He told our source.
“I also hold the post of Sports Secretary under Kano State branch of Joint National Association Of Persons With Disability (JONAPWD) among others,” he concluded.
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