By Kevin Phillips Momanyi
Zipporah Ong’era, 22, has never known the feeling of using both hands. She was born with one full arm but that has not stopped her from living her life to the fullest.
Her astonishing feats include cooking using her leg - particularly maize meal, locally known as ugali, a staple food in Kenya and other East African countries.
"Even though everything was really difficult, my mother never allowed that to enter my mind. She taught me to take each day as it came," she told TRT Afrika about her upbringing.
She said her mother was ostracised for raising a disabled child in a social setting where some people considered such children cursed.
It got even tougher for Zipporah and her mum when her father walked out of their lives.
‘’When I was born, my mum was told that I was a curse on the family and the community. A child born with only one arm was unlike anything they had ever seen. When I was about seven years old, my father abandoned us. My mother struggled to raise me on her own," she added.
Source of inspiration
Citing her mum as her greatest source of inspiration, Zipporah learnt to use her feet for most chores around the house.
"I can pretty much do everything on my own. I can cook, clean and wash. I have acquired all of my knowledge over time. I don’t feel any different in any way."
She went on to graduate with a degree in computer science. However, she struggles to get a job with some employees doubting her capability.
"I remember an interviewer asking me if I could type. I questioned why despite having studied computer science, he believed I could not type. At the end of the day, even though I can type quite well, I never got the job. It hurt, but it did not deter me from moving on with life."
'Cooking for dad, my greatest wish'
There are very few times when you can fail to notice Zipporah's endearing, pleasant, and contagious zest for life. She is extraordinarily self-assured and confident.
Her biggest wish still lives in her. She has come a long way and beaten the odds and she is stopping at nothing.
“Cooking for my dad has always been my greatest wish; I’ve always secretly wished to show him who I’ve grown into. I don’t hate him, I love him. God chose him to be my father. I’m sure he’ll try one of my dishes someday."
Zipporah has gone ahead to share her light with the world. She has printed T-shirts which she donates to people living with disability. She says she wants to inspire people.
The T-shirts are labelled ‘FLAWSOME’, an acronym for awesome with flaws, she said.
"My mother is the most important person in my life and has encouraged me to accept who I am. I believe that I am lovely and I live by that. Without her, my world would have been turned upside down."
Silence is the last thing the world will ever hear from her. She Knows her limits, but has never stopped trying to break them
"Everyone, I think, has some sort of flaws, whether they are obvious or not. Always keep your head up."
