By Jeff Mwangi
When you visit Meru Teachers College in Meru town a few distance from the gate inside the college on the right hand side residential staff houses can be seen.
One of these houses belongs to a Kiswahili lecturer in the college namely Peninah Mutwiri.
From a distance it’s hard for anybody to realise that she is visually impaired, especially when you see her going along her daily house activities in her compound.
We meet Peninah cleaning her house by scrubbing the floor, after introducing ourselves and informing the purpose of our visit, she welcomes us in her house, where we learnt later that though she cannot see, she is able to do almost all house duties just like any other person.
Peninah told us that she was born just like any other baby but while she was in class one aged 7 years, she started having a headache and after being diagnosed, she was found to have a tumour in her brain.
The ever smiling mother of one boy told us that, that’s when she was taken to Kenyatta National Hospital where she underwent a head surgery but she lost sight of one eye.
“I later went back to school though I was straining to read and after completing my primary education and performing very well, I joined high school where I graduated with a Division 1 and later joined form 5 and 6 for “A-Levels”. I did quite well and managed to join Moi University for a degree in Education. After graduating I was posted to be a Kiswahili lecturer at Meru Teachers’ Training College where I teach up to date,” says Peninah smiling.
She told us that, it was about 6 years ago that she completely lost her sight and was advised by a friend to seek assistance at a rehabilitation centre in Machakos Institute for the Blind, an advice she took.
“After rehabilitation I came back to Meru Teachers College where I continued with my teaching career only that this time I was forced to use a helper who reads teaching aids for me and then in turn I explain and expound to the students”, said Peninah.
Peninah’s uniqueness is that she has never allowed stigmatization to come her way and frustrate her. This has always given her confidence in whatever she does, making everything she does to come out perfectly as she would want it to be.
It’s through this confidence that many student teachers have passed through her hands, making them reputable and respected teachers in the society.
She adds that apart from teaching she also acts as a mentor to the youths and those who are discouraged, a thing which, she says, makes her feel proud for having transformed many in the society, creating hope in those who have lost hope regardless whether they are physically challenged or spiritually challenged.
Harriet Mugambi also a language lecturer at the same institution says as colleagues it was hard for them to understand that Peninah was blind as they used to see her perform her duties well, but later came to understand her and started giving her the support she needed.
“Peninah is a jovial lecturer who is serious on her work and she is a good mentor to both the old and the young”, said Mrs. Mugambi.
Harriet sentiments are also echoed by Erick Wafula, Jane Njoki and Kennedy Mwangi all second year students at Meru Teachers’ College who say that through Lecturer Peninah they have learnt a lot.
They term their Kiswahili language lecturer as a nice person who is always there to assist them in class work and who gives words of advice whenever need arises, adding that it’s through her knowledge of Kiswahili language that they have managed to perform well in their class work and hope to become qualified Kiswahili teachers just like their Kiswahili lecturer.
The respected tutor the bold talkative says most of the challenges with the physically challenged people is on those who surround them. She says some people tend to run away from a person who is physically challenged terming him or her as a bother.
“The physically challenged people should not sit and wait to be helped always”, advised Peninah, adding that the first thing is for them to accept themselves and accept their condition, then try and do what they think they are best in.
She also urges parents or relatives with physically challenged children not to look at them as a curse and hide them but to assist them by taking them to special schools where they can be taught on how to cope with life adding that the physically challenged people have got special talents which if nurtured are of much importance to the society.
Peninah’s power in working not only hard but also smartly is an eye opener to many people who usually run away or discriminate againts people who are physically challenged. Peninah has truly transformed many peoples’ life regardless of her blindness proving true the saying, “Disability is not Inability”.
