By Prince J Musa in Kenema.
A 44 year-old teacher at Ansarul Arazan Primary School in Kenema Adonis Vandi S. Kallon who lost his sight three years ago has appealed for humanitarian support. Kallon told Politico he has been teaching since 2009 after graduating with a teacher’s certificate. He said he has never been given a pin code and that his loss of sight has exacerbated his situation and therefore solicits support from the general public.
Kallon explained how after obtaining his teacher’s certificate he went on to teach even though he had no pay. He then later decided to enrol for higher teacher’s certificate at the then Eastern Polytechnic now Eastern Technical University in Kenema. Sadly on 7th November 2018 he woke up in the morning only for him to lose his sight.
He said the situation came as a shock to him and few of his close relatives around who then decided to take him to hospital for medical check-up. He was diagnosed of suffering from stress but his blindness was not linked to any other disease.
Almost three years since Vandi lost his sight, he claimed he has been abandoned by relatives.
“On the situation I find myself, all my family members that were closer to me during my normal period have neglected me and no one cares about me because I am a blind person. The discrimination and neglect from relatives have affected me greatly, as there is no one to console me or sympathize with my condition”, Kallon said.
His parents have passed away and he decided to go the Blind School at RTI in Kenema to learn braille and how to use the type writer and computer.
He has made up his mind to continue his higher teacher’s certificate course but needs the necessary equipment as a blind person.
Kallon further stated that he was in college early last December when he got a distress call that his only son aged 3 three was suffering from abdominal pain. Taken to hospital, doctors diagnosed the cause and said the surgery could cost 1.5 million Leones. He had to borrow money to get the operation done. Buying the required drugs for his son has been very difficult for Kallon who is also appealing for assistance.
He said he began teaching at Ansarul since 2009 and that even when the school was officially approved by the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education in 2019 , he is yet to be given a pin code. He said he has approached the school’s management but they said that was beyond them.
Copyright © Politico Online 19/10/21
