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Biology teacher overcomes paralysis by holding classes in his house

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Published on Saturday, 02 June 2007 07:43

Faced with the situation in which Abner Matoke Ondieki finds himself, many people would have simply given up on life. Ondieki, a teacher who was once a karate expert, weightlifter and volleyballer, found himself paralysed from the waist downwards after being struck by a mysterious disease.

But the biology teacher at Menyenya Secondary School in Nyamira District, was determined not to be beaten by his illness. So, because he could no longer go to the classroom – he brought the classroom to his house. Where many in his position would have resigned themselves to a life of dependency, Ondieki, who is known to his friends as Banana, instead waxes philosophical, quoting a verse from the Bible to explain his decision to go on working: "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that any who would not work, neither should he eat," he reads from the book of Thessalonians. And when the results of last year's Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education were announced last week, he had reason to feel proud. His biology students had excelled in the examination.

Ondieki begins his day at 4 am with prayers, a reading from the Bible and a hymn, sang together with his wife, Lisper. Thereafter, she cleans him up, serves him breakfast and gets him ready for class, which begins at 8 am in their bedroom. To get the class going, Ondieki goes through the previous day’s work and collects assignments. "In most cases," he explains, "class prefects collect the assignments and bring the books to me for marking.

To ensure that he coaches his students adequately, Ondieki carefully monitors the performance of each one to detect their weaknesses, and then determines the topics on which more work needs to be done. "I then give brief guidelines on specific areas and revise them thoroughly in addition to asking some of the weaker students to come back for a one-on-one coaching session. Given that I am always in bed, I have all the time I need to attend to my students, he explains.

"The fact that I am paralyed somehow makes me work even harder, so that I can beat my physically fit colleagues," he says. Two of his students, Lamech Nyariki and Dorris Ikonge, did him proud last year. The two, who say they hated biology until he intervened and personally coached them, scored straight "As" in their KCSE. Ondieki is also a Biology examiner in Borabu division. "I usually set exams which I give to my colleagues for discussion and refining. In most cases my colleagues readily accept my exams and the marking scheme." After the examinations, he receives about 200 answer sheets from each class in his school, although at times he marks the biology exams for the entire school, handling at least 70 per a day.

The 36-year-old teacher also counsels his students. He is popular with teenagers, many of whom go to him for advice on how to cope with challenges of adolescence. "The topic that dominates my discussions with students is boy-girl relationships. I advise to them is to ask themselves why they want to have a boyfriend or a girlfriend while in school. I also tell them of the dangers they are exposing themselves to.

"I advise them to keep their minds occupied with school work and how best to handle situations they imagine are complicated," says Ondieki. He has no regrets about being bed-ridden, he asserts: God who created me knows why I am sick and it doesn’t matter how long I remain bedridden. I still believe one day I will walk.

Lisper, who is also a teacher, says she was advised by close friends and .relatives to abandon her husband but decided to stick to her marriage vows. She, too, operates largely from her house, leaving her husband unattended only when she has a class. "If I am not here and he needs assistance, he rings the bell attached to his bed," she explains.

Ondieki's problem began eight years ago, with stomach pains that kept getting increasingly worse. After visits to several formal medical institutions, and even to herbalists and traditional healers, he was operated on both legs to remove pus from the bones in his thighs and given medication to soothe the pain and prevent infection. But his situation only got worse, and he became paralysed from the waist down.

But Ondieki is not bitter. "I thank God for I did not die then and I have lived to see my children, Polite Nyanchera, 10, and Hosea Maridadi, eight, grow under the care of my loving wife," he says. Ondieki says after trying everything to regain his strength, he turned to God for a miracle, which he still believes will happen. As we talk, Polite comes in to check whether her father needs any help. "I thank God that I got pregnant just before he fell sick and gave birth to a boy who is now used to seeing his father bedridden, says Lisper, adding that her husband's condition makes it difficult for her to go far from her house. "I have never thought of hiring anybody to look after my husband since I am sure anyone else can handle him the way I do." When a situation arises elsewhere that requires her presence, she sends for her brother-in-law, who is a student in Nairobi.

"He is the only one who can take care of his brother without a fuss. But if he is too busy to come, I have no option but to forego the engagement for the sake of my patient," she adds. During the nearly two-hour interview, Ondieki has been supporting himself on his elbows. "Isn't it tiring?" I ask. "No," he flashes a smile, "My hands are like my legs. I can teach and talk for hours since I have got used to supporting myself like this over the past eight years."

Ondieki, who would like to remain a teacher until he retires, has a word of advice and encouragement to disabled people. "Never say die! Remain focused and never allow any condition to bar you from achieving your goals. Use your being to lead the life you want without relying on well-wishers.