The one-handed orphaned girl who shot to fame as top photographer
Patience Dositha, a Congolese woman based in Kenya, had her left hand hacked off in a bloody militia attack at her home village more than a decade ago.
The bloody incident could have spelt doom for her future but her one arm is doing magic which is bringing her unimaginable rewards.
At her tender age, her dying father who was seriously wounded begged a stranger to take custody of Patience. Her mother’s life had been cut short by militia who did not spare her.
The good Samaritan traveled to settle in Rwanda where Patience would attend elementary school. Her joy was however short-lived after her adoptive siblings ejected her from their home following the death of the woman who had played a key role in saving her life and providing her shelter.
She was forced to live on the streets without food, money or contact to any known person in a land far away from her native home.
Her sun would shine once more as she bumped into a family friend one day by accident. Her new acquaintance is a commercial vehicle driver. The friend was engaged in transporting travelers on transit across East Africa.
Patience will soon conceive the wildest idea of forcing the man to smuggle her into Kenya.
“On arrival, he gave me five dollars to get me started off, and after few days I was broke and had to sleep outside and eat leftovers from the bins,” she told the BBC who reported her story on Wednesday.
Another chapter of misery has begun in her life. A God-sent angel will then intervene to avert the worsening of her plight.
One faithful day, she heard a man communicating in Kinyarwanda on a mobile phone. Her face lit up and waited patiently for the man to finish her conversation before introducing herself to ask for help.
The man, a security guard, who had compassion on her, would now have to consult his wife who approved for Patience to live with them.
Through inquiries, Patience was able to contact the International Rescue Committee. The organization provided funds for her to complete a programme in photography which would be the cash cow for the jobless lady.
Now the owner of Abled Photography, a name which depicts her abilities despite being disadvantaged compared to her peers, Patience said: “Some people doubt my photography skills because I have one hand, but when I take a photo of them they love my work and end up calling me to take more photos”.
Through her success, she hopes persons living with disability and immigrants can take a cue to polish and excel in any talent or skill available to them.