By Firmain Eric Mbadinga
Paul Anicet Mounziégou has pulled out all the stops for 2024. The Gabonese writer has released a comic book, a novel in Spanish and another novel in French.
The last of the three, entitled 'Prisonnière de mon handicap" (Prisoner of my disability), sums up the author's commitment to the cause of people living with disabilities.
It's not the first work by the writer on social issues and in ''Prisonnière de mon handicap", Paul Anicet Mounziégou does not betray his reputation.
''This text presents the difficult conditions in which people with disabilities live. I wanted to highlight the double disadvantage that people with disabilities face," ," the author tells TRT Afrika.
The double disadvantage here is an external society that discriminates against people living with disability and internal conditions in households where parents overprotect disabled children - keeping them in their homes like prisoners.
Discriminatory gaze
In the novel, Tsora, the main character, is a young girl born with hearing impairments whose mother overprotects her to the point of rarely letting her see the outside world. Born prematurely, Tsora lived in these conditions from birth until adulthood.
''According to her mother, Manima, this is the only effective way of escaping the discriminatory gaze of the inhabitants of Pungu, the imaginary town in which the characters live," adds Paul Anicet.
"At the age of eighteen, she meets Ibaba, a young hearing-impaired plumber. They fall in love and promise to marry. Unfortunately, this decision is not approved by her mother."
These disruptive elements of the story interact and bring to the surface all the prejudices about disability that Paul Anicet opposes.
''This novel is about drawing attention to society in general, so that we can become a society that accepts others as different, a society that accepts other people's disabilities. Fiction aside, the reality is that people with disabilities are sometimes victims of a lack of training and education. Here in Gabon, these people still don't have any real intellectual fulfillment," the novelist tells TRT Afrika.
The author's message and writing style are relatable. Paul Armand Ntogue, one of the novel's preface writers, attests to the the author's style and plea.
''Prisonnière de mon handicap" is first and foremost an ode to inclusion, an indictment of discrimination and marginalization of all kinds. Tsora's story is in itself a plea in favor of people living with a disability. But the story also takes a clear stand in favour of otherness," comments the literary critic.
The novel's main theme continues to be of international interest from both an economic and human perspective.
Greater inclusion
In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, commonly referred to as the SDGs, the United Nations is encouraging greater social inclusion and attention to the specific needs of people with disabilities, regardless of gender.
According to official figures, at least 1.3 billion of the world's 8 billion inhabitants have a disability (physical or motor). Whether it is the consequence of a dramatic event or congenital, disability should be mitigated by the support of society.
In Paul Anicet's opinion, society should be more attentive, patient, and more humane. He is convinced that like everyone else, with the right support, people living with a disability have talents and a great deal of potential.
As far as the target group is concerned, there are the parents who will be made aware of the need to let their disabled children express their talents.
''There are parents of people who need to be made aware of the need to let their disabled children express their talents. Young people, in general, need to accept their colleagues and fellow students living with a disability. Despite their disability, these people have talent. The lesson is to let them express themselves because they are a part of society," he says.
The argument developed by the Gabonese writer about the talents of all, regardless of physical condition, has examples that speak for themselves.
Professor Stephen Hawking, who lived for years with a disability resulting from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, made a brilliant and distinguished contribution to scientific research in the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity before his death in 2018.
Singer Stevie Wonder, has won 25 Grammy awards and sold over 100 million albums, despite being blind since childhood.
These two distinguished figures serve as sources of inspiration for the teacher, who is dedicated to bringing out the best in those around him.
The author told TRT AFRIKA that he faced two major challenges in completing the literary project.
In addition to time, he had to find an African publishing house with a reasonable budget for quality work.
Through this work, the author, who is also a sign language interpreter, hopes to encourage society as a whole to practice inclusiveness through everyday actions, rather than limiting themselves to speeches or declarations of intent.
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