INSPIRED: NGO sets up Osun 21-year-old deaf, dumb lady hairdresser

A 21-year-old lady with hearing and speech impairment, Aina Sunday Emitomo was set up as a professional hairdresser by Adewumi Adeyemi Foundation (AAF) due to her inspiring story.

The founder of the Non-Governmental Organisation, Adewumi Adeyemi (IREKANDU) while narrating her encounter with the young lady said he met with Ms Emitomo who had learned hairdressing during a political campaign in 2023.

Adeyemi who is a honourable member of Osun State House of Assembly representing Obokun State Constituency in a post on his official social media page posted how he met the lady in a post titled “My Encounter With A 21-year-old Lady With Hearing And Speech Impairment” on Friday.

According to him, “During my campaign for the 2023 House of Assembly elections in my constituency, I met a 21-year-old lady, Aina Sunday Emitomo, whom I came to discover later to be unable to speak or hear.

“Amid the crowd, as she (Ms Emitomo) made efforts to access me and communicate with me despite her special and challenging condition, her only request was for me to get her a hair dryer.

“Emitomo has learnt hairdressing and was ready to have the freedom to be independent of her trainer but she needed help to establish herself. The people that knew her assisted in communicating her request to me; they affirmed her request. She has learnt the trade of making hair (Hairdressing) and was only left with establishing herself in the trade but couldn’t do so.

The Osun lawmaker continued, “Emitomo got me inspired, as a deaf and dumb young lady who didn’t see begging or any other inhuman activity as an option but wanted to be seen as a woman who doesn’t want to be living at the mercy of people but fending for herself.

“Moved by her situation, I met with Emitomo’s boss (her trainer) and her parents to consider if she would want to go back to school on a scholarship, but her decision was to get established in her trade.

“I decided through the Adewumi Adeyemi Foundation (AAF) to give her beyond her request to establish her fully in her passionate and chosen job. Further to this, we got the list of all she needed as given to me by her trainer.

“Yesterday, August 11th, 2023, I was in the meeting of the Hairdressers Association, where I presented the items requested for her establishment- a Dryer, Tonging machine, Washing base, Rollers, Hand Dryer, Straightener, etc. I sought the association’s permission to allow her to have her “freedom” immediately and the requested fee for her freedom was paid by the AAF.

“I am happy that I was able to bring smiles to Emitomo’s face. Though she could not speak nor hear, she communicated her joy effectively with nonverbal cues and happiness beyond tears of joy. I’m grateful to my team for making this possible. I also thank Emitomo’s parents and the hairdressers association for allowing me to be of help to this wonderful young lady. Her story will always be an inspiring one.”

According to the state lawmaker, a girl child is very important in “our society, and must always be encouraged, likewise, everyone must be encouraged in their decision to be hardworking and not constitute a nuisance which poses danger in the society.”

“We have a responsibility to build a better society; you and me. This is a call I am committed to. May Nigeria be better.”