 And welcome back to I-254 in the morning. My name is Faith Nsuli, and just in case you joining us, it's WCW. On this segment, we celebrate the strength of a woman. Now, I'm sure you've come across people living with disability on the streets, and all you felt for them was sympathy. To an extent that you even dropped a coin or two in their teens, but come to think of it, this is not all that these people need. They also have needs, they need better education, better jobs, better housing, and you find that most of them end up on the streets. Now, today in studio we are speaking to Patricia Machivo. She is a youth leader and an advocate for people living with the disability. She wears so many hearts and she's here to talk on these and more. Engage us on all our social media platforms at I-254 channel at Faith Nsuli. The hashtag is why in the morning. Karibusana. Thank you so much. Wow, you look so young but you wear so many hearts. I'm grateful to God. So, who is Patricia Machivo? Patricia Machivo first is a graduate from Alchimida University of Kenya with a bachelor's degree in analytical chemistry, first class owner. I'm a former brand ambassador for Zika Source an organization that deals with facilitating employment for persons with disabilities. I've had various leadership positions where currently I'm the vice chair of the UNFPA, that is the United Nations Populations Fund Youth Advisory Panel. I'm the vice chair and I work with other organizations such as Inuadada, Tausi, Task Force. All of these organizations basically spearhead the rights of humans, mostly sexual productive health rights. Wow. So, how was life growing up? It being that you live with a disability and there is this stereotype that people usually have towards people living with disability. How was it growing up with the disability? Okay, first for me my disability was through a road accident in 2012. But again from 2012 to now it's almost close to nine years going to ten. Of course it has not been easy here. There is that stereotype, there is that stigma. Well, it has not been easy and I believe it's not easy for most persons with disabilities because when it comes to getting opportunities most of us are considered last because they think we have no capabilities. When it comes to things they just feel like these people they will take too much of our time they need so much so why should we have them. But for me I really tried to change the narrative when I went back to school. So after the accident I stayed home for like two years to heal from the accident, the trauma, understanding who the new Patricia was. So when I went back to school of course there is that when I would walk to a place students would just stop and look at you of course it would make me very uncomfortable. Then some teachers would wonder if I would still manage it because I stayed home for two years so some of them they couldn't even hold it but tell me, are you sure you will make it. Like for me it was really heartbreaking because as a teacher you should tell me you are capable of this, you are capable of many things but for them they were like trying to tell me that it's like close to impossible that you have come back to school but I tried changing the narrative so I sat down, I told myself I will try to give these people something else to see from me apart from my disability because that's what they see from me and I will just try to change everything that they think that are not capable of so by then I decided to focus more on my academics when I went to school. And this time when school elections came I was like why not, why shouldn't I try that's something that people were like what did somebody push you to do that I'm like no this is something that I want what do you think it's somebody who has pushed me will they benefit from this it's my thing so I went for the elections and I won secretary health and sanitation that means I forgot to say that and I'm an environmentalist so yeah and when I did my first exams after 2 years I was number 20 then by the time I was completing my KCC in high school I tied with index 1 and it was a plane of 66 points to me that was something great because having stayed home for 2 years and still managed to do that it was really nice and so speaking of you running for a seat in the campus and then now emerging and being a leader what stood out for you because there is this stereotype here she can't just do it for us and you find that most people living with disability they hold back and say no I can't just do it what stood out for you well I'm that kind of person first who does not listen to what people say I'm the type to tell myself if this is possible if it's not possible then I think I should be the one saying it but not somebody else to tell me so with campus politics I started off as a delegate of which again I was the one with the highest votes in our faculty and after that now I ran for the seat secretary for she needs health and environment at first people really thought they had some issues like will she manage it like how will she do it I knew what I am supposed to do I know as a leader I'm supposed to be there for my people mostly persons with disabilities these are the most neglected people so I knew what our group wanted so clearly when I knew when I was to get to power this is what we wanted and that's what I ensured when I go to power I ensured that accessibility was the first thing that the school considered because when I joined the school the school had zero accessibility for persons with disabilities like there were no ramps now we used to use common washrooms but when I got into power I ensured that they had renovated some washrooms for us and put special rooms for us on the ground floor because initially it was like fight for yourself if you get a room you don't get a room but you see I tried to show them that it's possible then again my doket was special needs health and environment so now for the health of the environment that means I'm including the whole university I've done several campaigns on matters of the health and matters of environment we've done a lot of jigreng in the school thanks to me and we've done most awareness of HIV awareness because we believe living in a society where HIV we have zero HIV new infections could lead to prosperity bring in income bring in good standards of living so that's why I spearhead on this matters of the environment health on that side also I was the vice chair of the health environment club so it made my work really easy and with time people were like wow we really needed a leader like you with time people really appreciated me and they just couldn't help it so I ended up going for 2 tons so speaking people needed a leader like you there is a lady who was here last week we hosted her here and she was saying that there is a time she went for a job interview and then along the way she just realized that the employer saw her as a liability and even dropped her out because she is living with the disability and there is some way that you mentioned that you fight for people employment for people living with the disability how are we trying or rather how are you trying to sensitize the community to know that people living with the disability are still able to do what normal human beings can do actually I don't know why they think persons with disabilities is just a different cluster but we are the same because at the end of the day the brain that is used so a person with a disability can reason the same way you without a disability can reason if it comes to doing work they can do the same way you can do but it just needs the skills so long as they have the skills I don't think this person qualifies because of their physical disability and disability does not mean inability obviously for the past years I have really proved that disability is not inability I have really tried my best to outdo myself and prove that disability is not inability and that's why when I was in high school I said one of the things that I was trying to prove people is to give them something else to look at me other than my disability so say if I was to walk in in my campus just ask who Patricia is I'm telling you some most of them will include the disability part but they will tell you what kind of a leader was how good my grades were I was just I think I was a major source of inspiration to most students and so for Rizike source what we do is we try to link persons with disabilities to employers all they have to do is just submit their CVs to the website or the Rizike app then from there when employers seek for employees with disabilities or when they just need an employee Rizike source is able to match up the CV and the job that's in line and actually I think it's a law that in your organization you have at least somebody with a disability it's inclusivity and our government is trying hard to ensure that inclusivity in all sectors I was just coming there as a person living with disability do you feel represented in our government like do you feel like your needs are being taken care of I think they are trying matters of disability just the same case as mental health these are the things that I raised very recently and they are like these things are the most neglected so it's time we come up with policies and ways in ensuring that they are taken care of so for matters of disability I think they are trying they are not doing their very best but I think they are trying and that's why people like me have to be there to remind them of what they are supposed to do people like me have to do what's supposed to be done we don't have to wait for the government to do it most of the things that the government do is after seeing that the community is trying to do them that the young people are trying to do them then that's where they are like oh so we have to do this also yeah that's very sad but I think they are trying but they really have to try very hard to ensure that we are very much represented yeah and so being disabled later in life there is someone who is born with disability and therefore she or he grows thinking that this is who I am but being disabled along the way like 20 years, 18 years it's not easy to an extent that some people go into a mental crisis did you ever reach there of course of course I went to a mental crisis to a point where I was like mam nataka sumo I need poison I don't see any value for myself I don't see if I can contribute anything to this life anymore so just get me poison actually fell into depression I even stayed home for 2 years because it was really traumatizing but with time I learned that I'm the master of my own life as much as people be like don't worry you'll get well soon it's going to be okay but I just dare to say words for you to hear but now what exactly will happen the reality so again it was my take to make the first step that this is what I want I have to forget that this happened poison was not available calling to my parents so I just had to sit down and ensure that I proceed with life and try to do my best and try to also inspire people through my story well talking of inspiring people through your story what would you tell someone who is living with the disability and he's mentally retarded or have I mentally disturbed mentally disturbed well it's actually okay to be disturbed because it's not easy given the discrimination of society is giving most of us it's very normal but again at the end of the day just like I did it's your life so if you want the society to control you then that's a done deal but it's you to control the society it's you to control your own life it's you to show us what you have because I believe every human every human they have something great something unique that they have to has their own skills maybe it takes time for people to realize but so long as you do anything from your heart and you love doing what you're doing trust me somebody somewhere is being inspired but what you're doing you just have to be yourself do what you do you don't have to listen to what people are saying so there is somewhere you mentioned that you also deal with reproductive health and so there is a time when the government was proposing for introduction of teaching in regards to reproductive health yeah sexual reproductive health is a very sensitive topic and I believe that if we're able to educate our younger generation as early as possible before they even get to the point where they can actually be affected by their decisions then the better we have to educate the young community that even if they have to start using these protective measures as early as in primary school for me I'm actually very much with it because you're trying to protect this young person's life they're not ready for responsibilities they're not ready to take care of sexual diseases so if you're able to educate them that you as a young person yes you're going through these changes and this is how you should do you can either abstain but if you feel like abstain but someone was arguing like it is so early like they are so young so it's like you're giving them information information is key so giving them information is actually correct information that is not good information to them at that tender age so you see when we decide to withhold this information those start picking from places just bits by bits and it will be very incomplete information and this is what will lead to pregnancies abortions because people will be like you know when you have sex and you go to pee you will not have you will not be pregnant that's you see I may pick through other places small bits so point to I may come up now a very wrong information but if you're able to just sit calmly and start talking to them that this is what you should do and these are the repercussions yes a young person should know but if by any chance you feel like you cannot do this then these are the choices that you have and I feel like even parents should be among the people who talk to their children first event before us come and start telling the youth that oh you know this is what you should do I think your parents is not telling you this but if parents are confident enough to tell them then I think actually it's their right to get this information as early as kiawadogo as early as when they are young that way you can be able to ensure that this young person is able to live a fulfilled life once somebody has full information then they are good to have a fulfilled life to how they think their life should be fulfilled living to their best of their capability so information is very key it doesn't matter what kind of age they are so no matter the age information is key and it will help them yes yes yes and also another thing is when it comes to sexual productive health not that we are approaching to 6th of February that's internationally day for FGM so again this kind of information like practices of FGM gender based violence how they should react to them this is information that our younger generation really needs to have it because they are our future leaders they are the ones to start telling these people that I will not agree to cut my clitoris or I will not agree to you as my dad just sleeping with me we have parents who molest the children we have uncles who molest the children so again having this information about sexual and productive health rights as alias now these people will know that if this is what happens to me then I can actually go to this and this and this so you are an environmentalist I remember way back in campus there is this lady who was so passionate about the environment to an extent that if you dropped a paper somewhere you are chewing gum he'd be like excuse me Faith can you pick that I am exactly like that exactly like that and I will tell you the last time I did that was just before my graduation I was in the car then some girls were walking by they passed me and one of them was drinking water and another one was drinking juice so one finished just drinking the juice and just threw it and they didn't have any hesitation and sometimes they drop those bottles in a very clean environment spotless and to them it's something very normal like somebody's mentality that it's actually very normal somebody will come and pick it here somebody is employed but why would you wait for somebody to come and pick your own trash because they are actually hooted so when I hooted of course they are like what's happening excuse me Yuga you were the whiter pick what I've just dropped and you see because I hooted now everyone was getting the attention she was looking so she had no other option but to just pick and go because honestly I was going to continue the fight she was not going to pick it I am that kind of person if you just throw something I don't care if you are my friend environment is something that really need to protect global warming is something that's real today somebody was telling me don't you think maybe this is something about global warming maybe it's a calendar that has been shaken I mean we are not going through the same calendar and even me saying reigns in January I was like this is global warming because for me I'm used to like jua throughout January exactly so when that person said actually it was my first time interacting with those people infact I was not even speaking a lot because I didn't know the people who I was with so when I was just on my phone when they say that I was like no it's just humans it's all things that's happening it's global warming and it's because humans are not being responsible enough so I was ready to take up that conversation because I felt like this person was also lacking some information when it comes to matters of protecting the environment then he was like saying well we thank God now it's raining here because we were not expecting rains probably we have rains here but don't you think that maybe some place right now they're lacking the rain so global warming is something that's real and we are responsible for it very responsible so if we as humans can change our actions and be responsible enough ensure that we have sustainable systems ensure that we have ways of managing our waste reducing waste I think it's something that every person should do and even children should also have this information not just sexual information I'm also for the idea that children should also be ambassadors for environment and so you are a fighter you have overcome the disability and you are an epitome of you can do it whether disabled or not or normal but I guess there are some challenges that you go through on a daily basis so what are some of the challenges that you face on a daily basis yes of course as much as I try to do myself with my disability of course there are those challenges that they are once in a while but for me I think they are very much minimal I really try to to avoid them maybe if I have nothing to do I'm not so occupied that day and maybe I want my phone then suddenly I'll just sit and I'll start thinking omg right now I would have been doing this because before my accident I used to have hobbies I used to like modeling I used to like dancing then at times when I see such kind of videos I'm like okay this would have been me but anyway let me brush that off I believe that God had something else planned for me so my challenges are very much minimal but again at times when I go for services out there we have people who have knowledge enough that persons with disabilities have the priority not because they are awake or anything but it's because of their situation they can't stand long enough in a line they cannot just you need to give them priority like when they are coming you just have to skip them because they can't sustain themselves to stay there for that long enough so at some organizations who meet very nice people who will be like just come just come sit here what do you want to do I can help you which is quite okay but there are some people who will be like no you just wait I mean this line has been there for long and you'd wonder wait hold on do you watch the news do you know what's happening actually but let's put aside what's happening what are your values don't you have like sympathy for what's happening here don't you think this person desires to go fast and go and get their help and live instead of just putting them there on the line for example me I can't stand on the line for long of course I'll get tired I believe you as a normal human you will think automatically this person will get tired that you think that you don't have to drop down like faint before exact action exactly you meet some of us also have other underlining health conditions so putting us there now will complicators exactly example now people with epilepsy for example but this is a kind of disability that you cannot see it unless somebody discusses it to you and it's something that happens from nowhere so these are kind of people also who really need much care and attention because again when it happens these people can easily hurt themselves so I think everyone should be an ambassador in matters of bringing change for persons with disabilities not just us because we are the ones who are affected but I believe any normal human has just that knowledge that a person with disability can this is what they need this is what we need to provide for them if it's employment they also have the same ego right we don't have to be like om you know the worst time but I think when it comes to social matters we are all eco they should actually remember that we are all eco but now when it comes to such services of course you have to think wisely that they need to go fast online now that you are an ambassador of people living with disability talk to someone who thinks that all people living with disability need sympathy like you drop that coin I am walking along the street I drop that coin in that tin and then tomorrow I pass by I have sympathized with you today I have dropped that coin tomorrow when I pass by I am like you see talk to that person who thinks that sympathy is the only thing that people living with disability need no sympathy is not the only thing that persons with disabilities need so this thing that you show somebody how to fish but not just giving them the fish giving them the coin today then tomorrow again coin but if you show them how to get that coin then that would be the best way so if you are in a position where you know you can mentor this person mentor them show them that this is not the only way besides I have heard of many other people like you who have done so many great things so I believe there is something still more that you can do than just sitting here down and asking for coins like inspire them let them know because most of them are dedicated and if you as a person can have that chance to talk to them and explain to them that you know you can do much great things today I am not giving you a coin today I am telling you this is what you are supposed to do there are many works by the government you can also start your own work there is a lot of things to do as much as you get little and you will strain a lot but at least you will have some place to start and speaking about education I want to launch my foundation it will actually help persons with disabilities get access to education because I feel like most of them have flat education and education is one of the stats it's like a guide to to many other things because I went through education because if I sit back and say if I never went back to school after the accident I really don't know where it could be right now but you see when I went back to school the academic part the other part where now I said I got to know that I am a good leader I started becoming an ambassador because you interact with people with different values with different mentality so I think education is one of the ways where it exposes people to many things so again if persons with disabilities can be exposed to education then I think it will be a very good start for them and that's why I want to start my own foundation where I am able to take them close to education and give them easy access to education and so we have come to an end of the show but before that I want to as your parting shot to talk to this parent who has given birth to a child with any form of disability or someone who has gotten a road accident or someone whichever way disabled and he feels like his disability is an inability well for that point who just got that child of course I need to be heartbreaking but again having a child is a blessing and every child has their own they are unique on their own way you just have to let them go to the outside world let them explore whatever opportunities come the way because you never know where these people will or how these people will become eventually all you have to do is let them go to the world don't be scared to let them go outside of the world and explore opportunities of course the world is harsh but just let them go let them go and let them grow because having them to be exposed to all these harsh conditions that's how they get to know that this is how it is to be and this is how I should defend myself you should just let them go but having them there at home then it won't bring any value to you one of the greatest scientists Stephen Hawkins is one of the greatest and latest scientists Stephen Hawkins was a scientist with a disability and for him it came by with time it's not like he was born with a disability and still with his disability he was able to do what most scientists did he's just one of the best scientists when you google Stephen Hawkins his name is just close to where Isaac Newton is and he's one of the latest and the best scientists so disability definitely is not inability these people have many things to do many great things to show they have potential they have a lot that they can inspire people thank you so much for coming we have a lot that would have wished we had more time to talk about but we can always have you back sure thank you we have a cooperation story from Patricia and they say that the dance of a madman it's just interesting to you when he or she is not your family member be nice to people be kind it costs you nothing thank you so much for watching I've been your host Faith Mnsuli Kaisu is up next with Girl's Talk stay right here