From Darkness to Purpose: How I Refused to Let Blindness Define Me

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Zikoko interviews Ejiro Sharon Okotie, a gender, disability and social inclusion specialist who went blind at 11 after meningitis. Despite this, she became a trained counsellor, researcher, Chevening scholar and the founder of Hope Inspired Foundation for Women and Youth with Disabilities. With unwavering support from her mother, twin sister and grandmother, Ejiro learned Braille, returned to mainstream school and excelled academically—from Queen’s College to UNIBEN, UNILAG and the University of Sussex. She later joined the Mandela Washington Fellowship and used each milestone to advocate for inclusion. Today, she empowers over 22,000 women and youth through life-skills training, policy advocacy and her memoir, Beyond the Darkness: A Journey from Loss to Purpose. Her story shows that true vision comes from resilience, community and belief in one’s own light.

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