Seeing beyond her disability
Tukisho Serite is a young woman whose infectious smile and cheerful personality is enough to brighten anyone's day.
POLOKWANE – Tukisho was born with a disability and uses crutches to move around. She says as a child she was shy and had no confidence but was taught by her grandmother to see beyond her disability.
“My grandmother was strict and she only wanted the best for me; when I didn’t do well at school I would get a hiding. She didn’t want me to use my disability as an excuse for mediocrity. When she passed on in 1997, my mother took over that role of strictness,” she explains with a smile.
She studies at the University of Limpopo, currently doing her masters in BA communications. She’s also been working for the Department of Treasury since 2008.
Tukisho explained the majority of the time she doesn’t feel her disability but circumstances constantly remind her. “I use crutches so I’m unable hold an umbrella when it rains. Also many of the tiled places are not crutch-friendly so that’s another challenge. But the biggest reminder of my disability has to be people, I get stares and sometimes people are brave enough to ask what happened to me. Mostly it is older people who constantly remind me of my disability because they always feel sorry for me. Some even go so far to make comments like it’s a shame for such a beautiful woman like me to be disabled.”
Tukisho started giving talks about disability in 2008. “I gained the confidence to speak in front of people because of a lady, Anna Oliphant, who used to make sure that I was put on the programmes at work events. Sometimes she wouldn’t even ask me, thus not giving me the choice to refuse. I would just be told that I’m in the line-up of speakers for the day. I remember one day I attended an event happily; thinking I was just going to be a spectator. When I glanced at the programme, to my horror, my name was there. At the time I was furious but looking back, it helped me,” she giggles.
She doesn’t let the daily challenges she experiences get to her.
“I give talks about disability, especially to the older generation and I have learnt through my work that they are the ones who stereotype most regarding disability. I’m passionate about what I do because the talks can change people’s attitudes.”
In future Tukisho plans to do more motivational speaking and she is gunning for the ‘Dr’ title before her name.
