More to mouth than eating and speaking

 

For most of us, the mouth is reserved for eating and speaking.

But for Simon Waithanje, 17, this facial organ serves more than just these two natural purposes.

Through many years of practice “Simo”, as he is known among his friends, deftly uses his jaws, lips and tongue to perform tasks normal people do using their hands.

Tasks like writing and dialling a mobile phone. He suffered brain damage during birth, which has confined him to a wheelchair; his limbs are paralysed.

Innovative ways

But this apparent setback has not dampened the teenager’s gusto and energy for life, which have seen him conjure up innovative ways to do daily chores.

“As part of his road to self-reliance, Simon painstakingly taught himself how to use his mouth to perform numerous chores,” Henry Konga, a teacher at his school recalls.

“He accepted his disability at the age of nine. That was instrumental in his rehabilitation.” Although he is behind his peers in his studies, Simon’s desire to learn is evident.

He jots down digits in his arithmetic book using a pencil held firmly between his teeth. He performs the feat with a skill that can only be born of practice.

After the death of his father when he was toddler, Simon’s mother, who is jobless, could not provide for his special needs, hence he had to move around several schools, in many of which he was mistreated.

It was while doing the rounds in these institutions that he met Mr Konga at a special school in Kahawa West, Nairobi.

The teacher and pupil struck a rapport, and when Ongata Rongai Special School opened its doors early last year, Simon was among the first to be enrolled at the school where Mr Konga is also a director.

Besides his amazing ability to use his mouth in ways that few can, the friendly boy is also a trendy teen.

He dons an earring. But given the raging debate that the Chief Justice nominee Dr Willy Mutunga’s stud has generated, he young man sought to explain:

“I saw my friends doing it and I thought it was cool. I looked for some money and pierced my ear too. Coach also has an earring, so being my role model, mentor and sponsor I am inspired to be like him.”

“Coach” refers to Peak Performance managing director James Gitau, who doubles as Simon’s mentor and close friend.

Simon also has a phone but due to the fact that he uses a sharpened mouth-held pencil to punch the numbers, the key pad is in tatters.

“I pray that one day I will get a touch screen that wouldn’t be destroyed by the pencil so that I can network with friends and family more easily whenever I have an issue,” he says.

The fact that the boy mentions the word “pray” is no coincidence because as Mr Konga explains, Simon is also very religious.

Besides putting pressure on the school’s director to take him and the others to church every Sunday, the teacher says many are the days that up to three hours before going to sleep, he prays for his family, fellow students, the school and the country.

“Taking the students to church, which is 500 meters away, takes about two hours since we have to ferry them one by one using the only wheelchair that the school owns,” the director says.

“But the sad and gloomy mood that clouds the faces of these children when I am unable to take them to church always compels me to try my best,” he says.

Mr Konga’s efforts to procure additional wheelchairs from various donor agencies have been unfruitful. A good wheelchair goes for Sh20,000 or more.

Simon is also an ardent fan of English football; he supports Chelsea, confirmed by the relative ease with which he mentions the club players like Drogba, Lampard and goalkeeper Cesc.

“I would like to be a journalist writing stories for newspapers,” he concludes with a never-say-die expression etched on his face.