I see the devastating effects of polio every day in the work I do. I work with polio survivors through my organization Wheelchairs for Nigeria, which provides hand-powered wheelchairs to people crippled by polio.
I also know the effects of polio personally, because I contracted the disease when I was four years old.
I remember when I was very small—when I used to use my two legs. During my first few years with polio I was very frustrated because I wanted to be part of outdoor adventures like other kids in my village. I had to walk on my hands, which was too slow to keep up with the other boys.
The closest public school was five kilometers away, much too far to crawl, so I did not attend. But my life changed completely when my uncle gave me a wheelchair when I was 19. I remember that wonderful day very well. I started back to school in fourth grade and had my hope, dignity, and self-worth restored.
That is part of the reason I am moved to do what I do now with Wheelchairs for Nigeria; I know that if you’ve been affected by polio or any other crippling disease, a wheelchair can restore hope and turn around your life. When I watch people receive a wheelchair from our organization I look into their eyes and see joy and the restoration of hope.
Over the last 10 years we’ve given away more than 3,000 wheelchairs. The people who have received wheelchairs have gone back to school or learned a trade and are actively engaged in their communities.
I feel good about the work we have done, but would really like for there to be no need for our wheelchairs at all. Nigerians have made a tremendous effort to combat polio. People are working on immunization campaigns in their communities, in their churches, everywhere.
Growing up in my village, we would hunt for birds with our slingshots. Sometimes we would aim at a bird, shoot, and miss. We’d say, “Oh! I nearly got it!” and would celebrate. An elder told us, “Nearly does not kill the bird. You have to hit the bird—and that is when you should celebrate.”
If the global community stops when we have eradicated 99 percent of polio, the disease will return and we’ll move backwards. So, when it comes to polio, “nearly does not kill the bird.”
The global fight against polio is one of the largest, most ambitious internationally coordinated health initiatives in history. It has mobilized millions of volunteers around the world. Today, polio eradication is within reach. We must sustain the tempo so that polio can finally be eradicated.
We have to be able to say we eradicated polio 100 percent...not that we almost eradicated polio.