Michael Ogunkanmi and his wife, Akintomide, are a blind couple raising three children while struggling with unemployment and the rising cost of meeting their family’s basic needs.
The couple, who met while in school, say their greatest need is not sympathy but an opportunity to work and use the education and skills they have acquired over the years.
Michael, 39, and Akintomide, 34, live together with their two daughters and a son. Their eldest daughter is eight years old, their son is five, while their youngest daughter is three. The children can see, although Michael said the eldest has some difficulty seeing objects from a distance.
Despite their inability to see, the couple have developed a system of cooperation that helps them manage their home. They rely on memory, touch and communication to keep things organised.
Michael explained that whenever an item is moved from its usual position, either of them informs the other. He said they also teach each other how to carry out tasks they may not know how to perform.
Their children have also started assisting with some activities at home. The eldest daughter, for instance, can wash plates, sweep and prepare simple meals such as rice and beans.
The children have ambitions of their own. Michael said his first daughter hopes to become a doctor, while his son wants to become a lecturer.
However, providing the resources needed to support those dreams has become a major concern for their parents.
Unemployment puts family under pressure
Michael is a trained teacher, musician and special educator, but he currently does not have a regular job.
He earns some money by playing drums in a church. According to him, he previously received about N20,000, but the payment is not regular. On some occasions, church members give him between N1,000 and N3,000 after he performs.
The irregular income makes it difficult for the family to provide food and meet other daily needs.
Michael said there have been occasions when his children returned from school without food waiting for them. In such situations, he sometimes buys food on credit from neighbours and pays later.
He said he could also buy biscuits for the children to eat temporarily when there was no proper meal available.
With another school term approaching, the family also needs money for textbooks, sandals and school uniforms.
Michael said the family currently does not have enough money to provide these items for the children.
Both parents are trained teachers
The couple said their situation is particularly difficult because both of them are educated and trained to work.
Michael holds a Nigeria Certificate in Education, NCE, in Music and Special Education, while Akintomide has an NCE in Social Studies and Special Education.
According to Michael, they applied for teaching positions through the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, in July last year.
He said they were initially told they would be contacted. When no call came, they returned to make inquiries and were again asked to wait.
Michael later obtained a recommendation letter as requested and submitted it. He said the acknowledgement letter is still with them, but they have not received an invitation for employment.
“They said they would call us. They have been calling some people, but up till now, since last year, they haven’t called us,” he said.
For Michael, securing a teaching job would mean more than earning a monthly salary. He believes employment would give him the financial stability needed to provide food, education and other necessities for his children.
He said he would continue his music and other work even if he gets a teaching job, because he believes multiple sources of income would help him support his family.
How the couple lost their sight
Michael was not born blind. He said his parents told him that he could see as a baby but lost his sight after suffering measles when he was about two years old while living with them in Badagry.
Akintomide also lost her sight after measles, although her experience was different. She reportedly had sight until she was in Primary Four or Five.
Despite losing their sight, both continued their education, met in school and eventually built a family together.
Their disability has not prevented them from managing their home or raising their children, although unemployment and financial difficulties have placed significant pressure on the family.
Love keeps the family together
Michael said the financial challenges have not destroyed the love between him and his wife.
He said he still loves Akintomide and believes their continued marriage is evidence of the affection they have for each other.
Asked what he loves most about his wife, he described her as enduring, while Akintomide said she loves her husband because he is devoted to God and loves her.
The couple have also received vocational training. Michael was trained in soap-making, while Akintomide learnt perfume production through an association. However, the materials provided to them were not enough to establish businesses that could provide sustainable income.
For now, they continue to hope for employment.
Michael said he would be happy if he could regain his sight, but stressed that blindness does not prevent a person from living a meaningful and productive life.
He said that even without sight, he believes he can succeed and eventually help other people who are in need.
The couple’s immediate priority is to secure employment that will allow them to use their training, provide food for their children, pay for their education and meet the family’s daily needs without constantly relying on credit or assistance from neighbours.
They also hope to give their children the opportunity to pursue their ambitions, including their daughter’s dream of becoming a doctor and their son’s ambition to become a lecturer.
Michael said his ultimate wish is for his family to achieve financial stability and eventually be in a position to help others.
Akintomide, meanwhile, said the family continues to depend on God and believes that better days will come.
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