Landlady gave us quit notice after finding out we’re blind– Abuja couple
Despite numerous challenges, John and Janet Paul, an Abuja-based visually impaired couple, have remained steadfast in their love. In this interview with SOLOMON ODENIYI, they share their love story and the struggles they face because of their impairment, including their landlady’s attempt to evict them from her house because of their physical conditions
What can you tell us about your background?
I initially thought I wouldn’t be able to go far in life because of my visual impairment. But that changed when I was introduced to someone who told me about a school for the blind. I attended the school from primary level, where I was taught how to read Braille. I am studying Peace and Conflict Resolution at the National Open University in Abuja.
My education has been sponsored by a group of individuals whom I deeply appreciate for covering my school fees and other expenses. However, due to the economic situation of the country, I have lost contact with most of them. Whenever I approach people now for help, they tell me that things are tough for them as well.
As a result, I missed my first semester exam last year because I couldn’t pay my school fees. I thought I would be able to pay this semester, but that no longer seems possible.
Have you lost all hope?
Things have been very difficult for us. Our landlady has been pressuring us to leave her house, and she has been saying all sorts of things to us.
Are you owing her rent?
No, we are not. She served us a quit notice last month, saying she wanted to renovate the house. However, finding another place to stay will cost us a lot of money, which we cannot afford.
Ever since she told us to leave, we have been pleading with her, but she won’t budge. She keeps coming around, insisting that we must move out.
Was she aware of your condition before renting the apartment to you?
I don’t think so. We got the house through an agent, and we lived here peacefully until she moved in last year. Since then, she has been making it clear that she doesn’t want to live with blind people. Finally, she gave us a quit notice last month, even though our rent has not expired. I don’t know how she expects us to suddenly get money for a new apartment when we weren’t prepared for it.
We did not investigate who the landlady was before paying for the apartment because we didn’t expect such behaviour from a homeowner. We moved in in 2023, and everything was fine until she moved into the house in 2024, because she was not living her before. Now, we usually leave the house in the morning and come back later in the day just to avoid her trouble. The pressure from her has been unbearable.
Were you born visually impaired?
No, I was not born blind. When I was a child, I had measles. My parents—may my mother’s soul rest in peace—did everything they could to help me recover, but the condition persisted.
However, my greatest joy is that despite everything, I was still able to go to school.
What do you do for a living?
I compose gospel music and perform in churches, especially the Anglican Church. Sometimes, I go to events such as weddings or school programmes and ask the organisers if I can perform.
Through those performances, some people are touched, and they support me. That’s how I can put food on the table.
How are you coping with the tough economic situation, especially now that you have a child?
Things have been very hard. Just yesterday, I had to beg some of my classmates for help so we could eat. My little boy was suffering from tooth pain, and I had no money to buy medicine for him.
I had to keep calling people, asking for help. Some gave N1,000, while others assisted with N500. That was how we were able to eat yesterday and buy some medication. Even my wife is unwell, but she is trying to cope. I could only afford to buy her Paracetamol, but malaria requires stronger drugs. I was surprised when I saw her managing to get up and move around.
What was your biggest challenge while growing up, especially since you became visually impaired?
My biggest challenge was not being able to support my parents the way I wanted to. I always wished I could make them smile by providing for them, but I couldn’t.
One day, I went to look for a job as an artisan, and the person I approached told me that when he got paid, he would consider giving me something. I was shocked. I told him I was capable and could work, but he just pitied me instead of giving me a chance.
Eventually, I got a job at a bakery. They saw my condition and assigned me simple tasks that I could manage. I would wake up at 5am and return home at 10pm, but the pay was very small—only N1,000 per week. Sometimes, I worked without eating anything.
Later, someone taught me how to make liquid soap, but when I tried selling it, people discriminated against me and asked all sorts of rude questions. The business wasn’t growing, so I eventually stopped.
Aside from the discrimination you faced while selling soap, have you experienced other forms of discrimination?
Yes, a lot. Whenever I sit close to able-bodied people, some of them would shift away, as if being near me would affect them.
Finding an apartment was also very difficult. My current landlady didn’t know about my condition when I first moved in. But when she started living here in 2024, she began treating us differently. She has even been bringing people to inspect the house while we are still living in it. What kind of stigmatisation is that? She pressures us day and night. I don’t believe she would do this to an able-bodied person.
Another form of discrimination happened when my wife got pregnant. People were asking, “How did that happen?” Some even questioned how she would bathe and take care of the baby, as if we weren’t normal human beings.
When our child was born, people were shocked that he could see. Many of our neighbours came to check his eyes, expecting him to be blind like us. I just observed them and didn’t let it bother me.
There were other times I went to some places, and people would pretend they weren’t around just because I could not see them.
How did you meet your wife?
I met her at an outreach programme organised by a voluntary organisation. When I ‘saw’ her, I thought, “Wow, I’d like to know this girl.”
At first, she was hesitant to give me her phone number, and she kept asking why I wanted it. After some persistence, she gave it to me. The first time I called her, she said she was busy and couldn’t talk. But I kept calling, and over time, she started listening to me.
Eventually, I asked when I could visit her, and she gave me an appointment. We then met and had a conversation. Over time, we kept talking until I finally told her my intentions. She didn’t accept immediately, but later on, she did.
We also discussed how we could become financially independent after marriage. She decided to start a small business selling soft drinks and bread. In 2023, we got married, thanks to the support we received from people. When we informed our association for the blind about our plans to marry, members contributed and helped us.
Landlady’s pressure adding to our problems — Janet
Were you born visually impaired?
No. The condition started in 2015 when I was 18 years old.
What was the cause?
I was sweeping the floor when something flew into my eye. From that moment, I started feeling pain, but I was in a hurry to get to school.
I eventually went to school, but I could not focus throughout the day. When I got back home, I told my mum about it. At first, she thought it was something minor, but water kept coming out of the eye, and it turned red. That’s how it all started.
When I noticed that my vision was becoming blurry, I told my mum. She was surprised and initially wanted to take me to the hospital, but she met a friend whAo suggested a herbal remedy. Her friend said the herb would restore my sight, so we decided to try it instead of going to the hospital.
I started taking the herbal medicine exactly as instructed, but there was no improvement. However, my mum believed I wasn’t telling her the truth or she thought I was exaggerating.
But, when I told her that I could no longer see well with one eye and that the other was also getting bad, she finally realised that the herb was not working.
She then took me to an Islamic cleric, who gave me another herbal remedy and said my condition was not ordinary. That didn’t work either. We eventually visited an eye care hospital in Kaduna.
How was life for you before you became blind?
My life was normal. I was just fine. I was still a student when I lost my sight, and it wasn’t easy for me to cope at all. I faced a lot of challenges. After losing my sight, I thought my life was over; I had no hope anymore. I believed blind people were not useful, because the only ones I saw then were always walking with sticks and doing nothing.
I did not know that blind people could go to school, work, or even become successful. Every day, I cried bitterly. It got to the point that whenever I heard of someone passing away, I wished it were me instead.
When did your perception of people with visual impairments change?
One day, my mum took me to the National Eye Centre in Kaduna. At the hospital, they gave me an appointment to return for further tests. After examining my eyes, the doctors told me they couldn’t find anything wrong. They kept asking if I was sure I couldn’t see, and I kept telling them I couldn’t.
They gave me three different appointments for check-ups, and after the last one, they still said they could find nothing wrong with my eyes.
On that third appointment, I met a blind doctor, and I was shocked. I told him my perception of blind people, and he counselled me. He encouraged me not to lose hope.
That was the moment I decided to pick myself up and be the best I could be. He recommended some schools for the blind and advised me to enroll. At that time, I was in SS1.
I started learning how to read in Braille and use a typewriter. That was how I began to read and write again.
When I got to the special school, I was amazed. I saw so many people like me; even little children. I was in awe, wondering how I had never known about that before.
I am grateful to God now that I am in the 400 level at the National Open University, studying Political Science.
Your husband noted that when he approached you, you were initially hesitant. At what point did you realise that he was the one for you?
I had been praying to God that the man He would choose for me would be the “bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh”. I wanted someone who would be calm and understanding. And, God answered my prayers because my husband possesses all those qualities and more. We got married in 2023.
How has the experience been since then?
After our marriage, I got pregnant, and things became very difficult. We were just managing with the hope that things would get better one day. Thankfully, we have been receiving support from our loved ones, church members, and friends.
How do you feel that your landlady is insisting you should leave her house because of your condition?
It is very sad because we didn’t make ourselves the way we are. This is our biggest challenge at the moment; not because we owe her anything, but simply because she doesn’t want a blind couple living in her house. The pressure from her has been overwhelming. I wish we could find another place soon.
We are not saying we won’t leave, but we need time to gather money together and search for another home. Things are already hard for us; her pressure is only adding to our struggles.
What do you think can be done to ease your situation?
If people can support us in reviving our trading business, we would be very happy. Also, if we can find a new apartment as soon as possible, it would be a huge relief.
