I use My Legs To Do Household Chores But My Son Helps Out, Josephine Mwende
- Josephine Mwende may be abled differently, but her personality and resolve glow in the face of anyone who interacts with her
- Having suffered cerebral palsy in childhood, she has learnt how to make do without the help of her hands
- One thing that keeps her going is her four-year-old son who helps out with handing her the things she needs around the house
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Josephine Mwende has lived with Cerebral Palsy since childhood, a condition that affected her body movement and coordination.
Source: UGC
The condition is mostly caused by low oxygen levels to the brain during birth, known scientifically as asphyxia, infections like meningitis, or brain injury.
Contrary to some notions, the condition is not hereditary which means it is not inherited and cannot be passed onto a newborn.
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Not an Easy Childhood
Speaking to TV47's Muthoni Maina, Mwende revealed that she learnt she was abled differently when, as a young girl she couldn't do what the other kids were doing.
"I went to a normal school but it was difficult because we were supposed to write in the soil with our fingers and for me, I could not," she said.
Seeing that the environment was not embracing her physical differences, Mwende's parents were forced to enrol her into a special school.
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Uses Toes to Do Chores
The impairment on her hands means that Mwende has to undertake chores like laundry, cooking, and typing on a computer or phone using her toes.
The mother of one admits that her four-year-old son has been the main reason she remains jovial and hopeful about life.
She added that her son was still too young to question why she is abled differently, but he understands that time and again she needs his help.
"He usually asks 'mum can I pass over this?' then he hands it to my legs," she said.
Interaction with The Public
Mwende's biggest hack in life has been gauging individual's personalities before engaging them because some do not understand how to interact with people living with disabilities.
She has been able to find love and is ecstatic that all is going on well with her partner.
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In another story by YEN.com.gh, a young physically challenged couple has spoken about their situation as a couple.
The wife, Kudirat Nurudeen Oseni, said that people always avoided them, thinking physical disability is contractable.
Speaking with BBC News Yoruba, the husband, Nurudeen Oseni, said he is into liquid soap making.
He revealed that even when it is raining heavily, he always goes out to make ends meet.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
Linda Anderson Linda is a graduate of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in 2017 where she studied Chemical Engineering. She made an interesting career pivot from a Quality Control Officer to a Human Interest Editor in pursuit of doing what she loves and currently has close to 2 years experience in Journalism. Linda believes in kindness, respect, and empathy towards all and is firmly on board to help Yen.com.gh achieve all its set targets and goals.
Aba Afful (Copyeditor) Maame Aba serves as a copy editor at YEN.com.gh. She naturally enjoys working with words and has an eye for quality content. She has a keen interest in cyberspace and wants to see YEN.com.gh produce more impactful, thought-provoking, and error-free content. Aba has five years of experience as a content writer, blogger, author, and proofreader. She graduated from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 2017. She joined the team in 2021.
