About a week ago, a local daily in Kenya ran an article of how the youth of nowadays have been a let down to the society by going against its norms and doing things that were not accepted and normalizing them. Among the accusations were how the youth of today have a poor job retention rate while seeking a soft life with fast riches from questionable means. the article cited the example of a rise of gambling and money laundering activities in addition to clandestine affairs with older people as some of the means through which young people in the country seek a good life without sweating for it.
In their defense, the youths blamed a clash of cultures and smartness especially with technology which the older generation is not blessed with. They said unlike their older peers who took jobs as a means of survival, the youth of today are seeking jobs as a means of fulfillment and anything that compromises on that like work related stress should be done away with with immediate effect. there was also no admission of guilt on the issue of clandestine affairs since in their defense, everyone knew someone in their circles who did it for mutual benefit, with the exchange being intimacy for financial gain. The youths also questioned the need to struggle when there's an easy way out. After all, the end justifies the means so 'secure the bag'.
The piece got me thinking about the challenges of being a youth with disability. Its a hard life since you have no vantage point at all despite sometimes being educated like your peers who have no disability. For starters, disability makes you unattractive in the dating scene so affairs for money are an impossibility. Second, most of the other money making activities are illegal meaning you cant survive runnings with the law with a disability. Third, there are less avenues for people with disabilities to showcase their talents and even when they do, there is no financial reward for them since most of the avenues are done on a charity basis. Fourthly, most organizations shy away from employing people with disabilities on a long term basis and even when they do, its mostly for green washing the society that the organization is inclusive. Green washing in the sense that PWDs are given low cadre jobs with a minimal prospect of a promotion, never mind their capability in the job. The challenge is that when addressing these challenges, organizations bungle PWDs with women and able bodied youth, so there is no specific focus on PWDs only. Yet organizations will launch initiatives for women only and youth only. Why bungle PWDs with other demographics?
The truth is that PWDs make the best employees based on my experience with my friends. This is because they want a better life for themselves to overcome the challenges they face, and overcoming these challenges come at a cost. For example, movement is a hurdle to a wheelchair user so they work their backs off to buy a car. After getting a car you modify the vehicle to suit the wheelchair for easy portability and driving easily. Given that they may not be receiving much money, they work harder and longer to save an extra coin to buy a car or take out a loan buy the car and begin a long relationship with the bank to repay the loan. Don't forget the car is depreciating in value so you wont sell it for profit if you feel overburdened with loan repayments. Its the long way or no way.
The segregation of PWDs was for a long time held by the cultural beliefs of the African society coupled with little focus by the independence government and its successor. Even after the economy improved under Kenya's third president, PWDs were largely left out and after more than a decade of the legal provision of 5% of PWDs to positions in public organizations, there's little to show for it.
More than just overcoming hurdles, PWDs work harder to bring to an end overdependence on their families and become their own men and women. If there is family support, some get into marriage but majority delay this to enjoy their new found freedom which was denied when they had no money or means to enjoy their youth. Personally, I prefer a companionship kind of setting with no family obligation or responsibilities. Its easy to pull out if you feel its not working unlike a formalized union with divorce papers to sign when you reach for the exit. PWDs also work much harder and better since they derive their purpose and worth from their jobs after years of rejection in the job market or relationships. If they feel their value is appreciated and not appreciation because of disability, they pour their heart and soul into the job. The same can be said of their businesses as well. Most PWDs have a lot of time in their hands due to limited mobility and limited work engagements so they have more time to think through business ideas and spot opportunities easily owing to an inherent habit of always thinking ahead in our daily lives. They do a clean job since their reputation is dependent on it. With the right kind of support, their businesses thrive to great levels.
The spiral effect of this is that there is a remolding of desirable character. PWDs hardly take shortcuts since there isn't any. They know one wrong move will bring everything down so they better not take shortcut even if one is provided. But provided by who? We keep on trying no matter how long it takes to succeed in the hope for a better day. We appreciate small improvements since we know how long it took to make them. We hardly take offence with organizations that hardly take a chance on us yet wont miss an opportunity to pull a CSR stunt with us. Of organizations that box us into initiatives that hardly metamorphize to something meaningful and scalable. Above all, we smile and have a good time when we can. Since organizations are still reeling from the shock of the great resignation across the world, how about taking a chance on PWDs? What happened to learning on the job to gain experience when one does not have it? Where will they get the experience if they are not given the opportunity? Take a chance on us because somebody took a chance on you as well.
To the unbreakable spirit of youthful PWDs in search of a better life, keep on keeping on. It is never in vain.