On January 5, 2023, a 24-year-old lady whose legs were amputated when she was a little girl shared videos and photographs of herself on social media celebrating her university graduation.
Charity Chiwetalu is from a low-income family in southeast Nigeria’s Enugu State. When she was a girl, she had a terrible health condition that resulted in the amputation of her legs to save her life.
“I was not born disabled. I became disabled because of [a] sickness that would have taken my life. My legs were cut off because that was the only way I could live,” she told Prime Progress via an email chat.
Charity studied accounting at Enugu State University. “It was a great feeling [being a graduate] because to be a graduate has always been a dream for me,” she said. “It made me so happy.”
But she probably never would have gone to the university successfully had somebody outside her family not volunteered to sponsor her university education from the beginning to the end.
That sponsor was Chima Obieze, an Enugu State House of Assembly member.
“I was taken to meet him by a friend in 2019 [when I just gained admission]…we are from the same LGA (local government area) but different villages. He is not my father, but he loves me like a daughter. He paid my school fees from year one to the final year. He is also interested in making my dreams come true,” she said.
Currently, Charity produces and publishes regular motivational content on social media, where she commands a significant following – 597,000 on Tik Tok, 93,000 on Facebook, and 66,000 on Instagram.
“What I do currently is to inspire people with my disability because I am happy that a lot of people get motivated by my content every single time I make them,” she said. “But my future plan is to work in a good company with my certificate.”
On January 5, 2023, Charity Chiwetalu, a 24-year-old woman who had her legs amputated as a child due to a severe health condition, celebrated her university graduation on social media. Hailing from a low-income family in Enugu State, Nigeria, Charity pursued a degree in accounting at Enugu State University.
Her educational journey was made possible by Chima Obieze, a member of the Enugu State House of Assembly, who sponsored her studies from start to finish. Charity expressed her gratitude and the happiness of achieving her long-held dream of graduating.
Charity also shares motivational content on social media, where she has a significant following, including 597,000 on TikTok, 93,000 on Facebook, and 66,000 on Instagram. She aims to inspire others with her story and plans to work in a reputable company in the future.
