Student Fights for Nigeria's Disabled
Ajoke Alonge, who recently finished her master's student in social work, is fighting to improve the lives of the disabled in her native Nigeria.
"Disabled children in Nigeria are pitied; they are exploited and socially abused," Ajoke says. "There are no policies, no services to help the disabled."
Ajoke Alonge, MSW '08, who was diagnosed with spinal malformation at age 14, is working to improve the lives of disabled people in Nigeria.
For Ajoke, this battle is personal. She was diagnosed with a crippling spinal
malformation at age 14.
But she escaped the fate of most young disabled Nigerians-begging on the streets of their home town. She found support through a local charity to continue her studies. She then went on to get her bachelor's degree in special education and master's degree in social work at the University of Ibadan.
A cause grows out of a challenge
Ajoke faced her own challenges while studying in Ibadan, her home town. There was no transportation to take her to class and no ramps or elevators in the university buildings. Her classmates had to carry her to a third-floor classroom every day.
Ajoke's experience motivated her to becoming a leader in Nigeria's disabled-rights movement. She became a spokeswoman for the disabled in Nigeria and founded CODING (Creating Opportunities from Disability in Nigeria), a nonprofit that helps pay for medical support and school fees for the disabled.
The legislation, which she hopes to pass, will ban discrimination for those with
disabilities and provide easier access to transportation, public buildings, employment and education.
Continuing the fight
Ajoke came to DU after the Ford Foundation recognized her efforts and offered her a scholarship to study abroad. At the Graduate School of Social Work, she performed a comparative study on the treatment of the disabled in the U.S and Nigeria. She also acquired the skills and knowledge she needs to continue her fight for justice back home.
After graduating in June 2008, Ajoke plans to continue lobbying for CODING and
fighting to provide equal opportunities for the disabled.
"I want to encourage them not to give up," she says. "If mountains don't move, you climb over the mountains."
Published on June 27, 2008