Skip to main content
Adama

Adama Yarima Balla became a rolemodel in Nigeria

Never being able to stand on your own two feet and always in a wheelchair. Adama Yarima Balla (47) knows what that's like. Since she was 15 months old she is in a wheelchair because she got polio and then she had to rebuild her life.

Adama wants to eradicate polio in nigeria

‘I want to inspire people who are in a similar situation’

Adama Yarima Balla (47) lives in Nigeria and survived Polio. The effects of the disease still visible as of today. Forced to be in a wheelchair because her feet are not how they used to be. They are totally deformed and won’t allow her to stand. 

Despite of the situation life threw at her she pursued her education in regular schools. She eventually became a professional teacher. A year ago, a project in Nigeria that teaches you digital skills came to her attention. Participants of the project learn all about the online world in terms of what they can do online and how to apply that knowledge or develop even more. This way they feel their worth to be part of society again. Adama also learned this.

The program was so important for Adama that she decided to work for the project. "I particularly want to inspire my fellow polio survivors. By coordinating training sessions for participants in the digital skills project I can give the fellow polio survivors new hope."

She continues: “I want to fight to eradicate polio and to empower fellow polio survivors this way” Besides the digital skills program, she also works as an Executive Director of a Disability-led Civil Society Organisation called ‘ZADAYA Kanem and polio initiative’. There she coordinates the training of beneficiaries at ZADAYA Kanem and polio initiative.

Happiness found again

Adama found a way to reclaim happiness and live a meaningfull live. “I am a sociable individual, adept at communication and interaction across diverse age groups, religions, and ethnicities. These skills i can re-apply of the project.”

She expands: “I excel in delivering compelling public speeches, and my skills extend to being an attentive listener, thoughtful planner, and effective project executor.”

Adama in the middle

Fewer rights

In Nigeria, people with disabilities have fewer rights than in countries like the Netherlands. By involving people like Adama in projects such as the digital skills initiative, we demonstrate that people with disabilities can often achieve the same as those without disabilities. This also ties into the We are Able! project. With this initiative, ZOA and five other organizations aim to improve the social position of people with disabilities in countries like Nigeria. The project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Read more about We are Able!