Disability Is Not a Liability: Visually Impaired Man Turns Hardship into Hope through Craftsmanship

By: Ben TC Brooks

A 51-year-old visually impaired man in southeastern Liberia is defying the
odds by crafting and selling baskets and driers to support himself and his
family.

Daniel Nyenpan, a resident of Tejelaken Road in Fish Town, River Gee County,
wakes up early each morning with a clear mission: to earn an honest living and
prove that disability is not a barrier to productivity.

“I was living in Monrovia and providing for my family—my wife and two
children—while working as a warehouse manager at a gas station,” Nyenpan
shared.

Ten years ago, he began experiencing severe itching in his eyes. Despite
seeking treatment at the John F. Kennedy Hospital in Sinkor, he lost his sight
completely within two weeks.

“Since that moment, I haven’t been able to see anything,” he recalled.

Following his sudden blindness, Nyenpan’s life took a difficult turn. Unable
to work and provide for his family, he turned to street begging in central
Monrovia. His struggles deepened when his wife left him, taking their children
along.

“I couldn’t afford their education or manage the home. Everything changed,”
he said.

But hope came in the form of a friend who urged him to leave Monrovia for
Grand Gedeh County. Despite faint memories of the place, Nyenpan agreed.

In Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, he enrolled in a school for the blind. There,
under the guidance of another visually impaired man named Victor Cooper, he
learned to weave baskets and make driers.

After three years of training and rebuilding confidence, Nyenpan returned to
his roots in River Gee County to start anew.

Now, he frequently travels to garages in nearby Pleebo, Maryland County, to
buy old tires. He burns them to extract wires, which he skillfully transforms
into handmade baskets and driers.

“Even here in Fish Town, the mechanics know me. Sometimes they call me when
they have old tires,” he said.

Each week, he produces between 15 to 20 items, selling them at the bustling
Thursday market in Fish Town.

“On good days, I make over LD$5,000. I send LD$2,500 or more to my children
in Monrovia to help with school and other needs,” he explained.

Nyenpan hopes his story inspires other visually impaired Liberians to pursue
self-reliance rather than depend on begging.

He is calling on humanitarians and prominent individuals from River Gee
County to help him expand his craft into a small business. His goal is to open
a shop and better support his children’s education.

“By educating them, I believe they will be able to support me in my old
age,” Nyenpan concluded, his voice filled with both resolve and hope.