Christiana, now a staff of the Lagos State School of Vocational Studies where she teaches handcrafts, recalls the circumstances leading to the gradual loss of her sight which started in 2011 and became full blown visual impairment in 2014.
At a bustling gas station in the highbrow Victoria Island area of Lagos State, a visually challenged woman drew the attention of passersby to her merchandise. That was sometime in 2017.
The wares, which included footwears, Kampala (traditional African textile), antiseptic products and other stuff, were produced by her, even as she held them on one hand and used the other to navigate her way with the aid of a mobility cane.
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An opportunity beckoned
A concerned passerby who stopped to admire the wares, asked if really, they were made by her. Her response moved him. He added: “Only if they would allow you into an event organised by the Lagos government to promote things like this (handcraft) tomorrow. But it is strictly by invitation.”
The event in reference was to be held at the premises of the Lagos State School of Vocational Studies in Mushin, popularly known as the Fashola School. The Fashola School earned the moniker because it was commissioned by the then Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola in 2011.
Christiana Akinrinmade, the entrepreneur, would not allow such an opportunity slip. And she made the best of it.
“The following day I just took up my products and went to the venue. The programme was to start by 9am but I got there before the time. They asked me my invitation card. I asked them to wait. I brought out my products from my bag. When they saw it, they said madam you did all of these by yourself? I said yes and they said enter.”
More doors opened
Christiana, who left home with only N1,000, made more than N20,000 in sales.
She said: “When I got to the venue of the programme, I never knew that the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Lola Akande was coming. When she arrived, she just walked to my table. She bought my Kampala when I said it was N5000. People that came with her bought everything because when I was leaving, I discovered that my bags were empty. I went back home that day with more than N20, 000.”
Landed a teaching job with Lagos govt
An opportunity to interact with the commissioner presented itself at the venue and Christiana, who wanted a regular stream of income so as to support her two children in school, proposed to be a housemaid for the commissioner. But the commissioner had other plans after hearing her speak impeccable English with confidence. She asked Christiana her qualifications. Christiana responded that she had a Master’s degree plus a certificate in handcraft at the School of the Blind in Oshodi, Lagos.
“She sent one of her SA (Special Assistant) to come and collect my number so that I could come and see her in Alausa. When I went there, they did an interview for me that was around January 2017. By March 2017, they called me to come and work with them. So that’s how I started teaching here.”
The Niche
