The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Paralympics Committee of Sierra Leone (NPC-SLE), Alexander Thullah, aka African Teacher, has stated that people with disability in sports are calling themselves “determined people”.
The NPC CEO made this statement during World Hope International’s “Enable the Children” outing where around 800 children with disabilities were celebrated at the Aberdeen Beach in Freetown on Saturday 18 March 2023.
As part of its annual activities, Enable the Children Programme of the World Hope International organises outings for children with disabilities wherein they invite not only the parents of these children but also various stakeholders from all walks of life.
In his statement, the NPC CEO Alexander Thullah thanked World Hope International and Enable the Children for organising such a wonderful gathering, noting they’ve made people with disability proud.
He said this is something they’ve been struggling with in the past, but today it is a thing of the past; the pointing fingers, laughing at them, is all in the past, adding that in the past when he saw the crowd he would run and find a place to hide himself because he didn’t want people to look at him, but today he is going where the crowd is because the crowd needs him.
‘We the disabled people in sports we call ourselves ‘determined people’. We are determined people because we want to do something extra so that we too can reach there. We are determined people and not disabled people. We who are in sports are feeling good because we want to change the narrative now.
‘In the past they said disabled, later they called us physically challenged and now we are determined people,’ he stated.
African Teacher commended the parents for showing love to disabled children noting that transformation has taken place because in the past disabled children were abandoned and now they are showing them love.
‘This is very good. In the past when our parents had visitors they used to hide us from their guests because they would laugh at us. Now we too are proud to stand and talk, with our parents proudly pointing fingers at us calling us their children,’ Thullah affirmed.
He appealed to the parents to give their children the correct training and love so that they too will still go up there.
‘Today we have different offices in the country and the world where people with determination are occupying. All of us are pushing so that people will know that we have life and we have the right to belong and to live so if you a parent with a child with disability that’s discouraged, after all the statement you’ve heard today you should have a rethink. When you go home see these children like any other children out there. Before this time I used to crawl, but now technology has made me to stand and I am moving to places where the able people are going.’
‘It’s only encouragement we need, if we have the support from you the parents these children will bring smiles to your faces and you will be proud to show people your child. Let’s not discourage.
‘World Hope International, I want to thank you for such a wonderful gathering. Enabling the Children you’ve shown us that change is coming to Sierra Leone; the future will have to be bright for people with disability, for people with determination,’ the National Paralympics Committee CEO concluded.