Ene Ogbe On The Road to Uhuru
You may wish to call this report a story of from ‘grass to grace’
The story of Ene Ogbe, a female polio victim compelled by circumstance to beg for alms to sustain her children on the streets of Karu new site on the outskirts of Abuja is certainly one in transition.
When NTA news broke her story over a year ago, Ene was living all alone in a shanty slum, with five children and no source of livelihood.
Claire Adelabu-Abdulrazak tells us what has happened.
Like most street beggars, Ene Ogbe is physically challenged.
As far as she can recollect, her mother told her that by age eight she was already manifesting symptoms of the polio virus.
Despite her handicap Ene got married to Collins Ogbe with whom she‘s had five children.
When I first encountered her in 2012 at her regular begging spot-the Karu corner shop junction in Karu site on the outskirts of Abuja, she said she was compelled by circumstances to take to the street.
Since then Ene and her children have been living inside this shanty and on the gestures she gets from sympathizers.
Three of her children Francis, Ringle and Angel were admitted into this private school at a cost borne by the school owner.
Ene is not a regular beggar; she maintains a routine that seems to have been defined for her by her challenge.
Confined to this rickety wheelchair, Ene relies solely on her children for mobility.
And because her children are in school she can only come out to beg in the evenings when school is over and her children can then wheel her to her regular begging spot.
It’s been over a year now since ntanews24 broke Ene’s story.
However Ene’s circumstance is poised to change.
As two months ago another good Nigerian who wishes to remain anonymous made a cash donation of five hundred thousand naira to the ntanews24 to rehabilitate her.
STAND UP CLAIRE: Part of the money was used to get this two bedroom apartment where Ene and her children now lives.
The apartment is a walking distance to the children’s school and was rented out at the benevolence of the landlord.
FRANCIS AND RINGLE
To enable Ene start off a small scale trade of her choice in fish smoking, this refrigerator and generating set were also purchased for her. A cash balance of one hundred thousand Naira was presented to her in her new home. But perhaps the greater good news is that Ene has also reconciled with her husband.
Ene is literate and skilled in the sign language but until such a time when she starts to earn a living from her skills, Ene Ogbe would require a more profitable means to sustain her new yearly house rent.
That way her wish and that of the anonymous donor to keep her off the streets would finally come true.
But for now Ene and her husband are grateful to the unknown donor and to the Nigerian Television Authority for breaking her story.
Reporter: CLAIRE ADELABU-ABDULRAZAK NTANEWS24, Abuja
