The differently abled singers spreading hope through music

A walk on the streets of Nairobi CBD comes with the sight of people living with disability begging at different places.

Some use their God-given talents, such as singing, to attract your attention and earn your support. Others alert you with a petition for help.

It is not clear what many of them will do with the funds raised, but some of them have become so familiar, having made begging their livelihood.

Fr Dieu Donne was ambling the streets of Nairobi when he encountered people living with disabilities seeking help.

Fr Donne is a Congolese missionary priest who ministers at St Monica Catholic Church in Njiru, Nairobi.

“I saw this group of people living with disability in the streets. I thought of them and said I might not have enough money to give, but I can do something that can transform their lives in a more dignified way," he said.

The melodious voices that came from some of them birthed an inner desire in him to get some of them out of the streets for a more dignified way of life.

“As a missionary priest, our goal is to build the kingdom of God not only in us but also in the people surrounding us. As a person gifted musically, I saw an opportunity to transform these talents through music,” he said.

FORMATION AND MEMBERSHIP

After years of contemplating, Fr Donne formed the Wonders of God musical group in 2021, which was registered with the Department of Social Development as a Self-Help Group on November 21 the same year.

The group brings together eight differently abled men and women, who set off on a mission to spread hope through music and better their lives in the long run.

The eight are Juma Martin, Michael Musyoka, Monica Muthoni, Elvis Hovonimana, Jesse Kiguri, Jared Kibwage, Boniface Gichuhi and Nyakundi.

Juma, 31, was the first member to be recruited. He is blind and through his involvement in the Wonders of God group, he was supported by acquiring training in education. He is now a teacher employed by the government and still plays the keyboard.

Elvis, 34, was second to be recruited. He is a skilled barber who plays guitar and does electronics repairs to earn a living. He is living with a disability of the lower limbs.

“I met Juma and Elvis and shared the vision. I told them if we come together, we can do great things. With time, I was able to bring the rest of the members,” Fr Donne said.

Monica, 30, is the only woman and the treasurer of the group. She has a spinal injury and bladder complications that have kept her in a wheelchair for more than 13 years.

She plays for the National Basketball Team for people living with disability and makes crafts such as beads and jewellery to earn a living.

Jared, 34, is a skilled keyboard player and choirmaster who got a chance to play piano at a church in Njiru for a fee courtesy of being a Wonders of God member.

Jared and Martin are both blind.

Michael, 31, applies his business acumen to earn a living. He is living with a disability of the lower limbs.

Boniface earns a living through driving and barbering skills. He has a lower limb disability.

Nyakundi is the eldest in the group. At 50 years, he is still hopeful of one day running a successful business despite his lower limb disability.

The members are drawn from various informal settlements in Nairobi and Kajiado counties.

Despite the group being birthed by a Catholic priest, its members come from different denominations.

KEY PROJECTS

Jessie is the group’s president. He is blind, the youngest of the eight, and plays the keyboard to sustain his life.

“The Wonders of God group is full of wonders. We don’t write our songs. We just meet in the studio and just like that, we get our music project going,” Kiguru said.

“The first day we met, were strangers to each other. We were given a Swahili theme, Maajabu (Wonders), in which we were to come up with a song. In a random singing session. The song was done.”

The song Maajabu was named after the group’s name to demonstrate their ability to achieve great things despite living with disabilities.

So far, they have managed to release two videos, one for Maajabu and another for a song titleed Amani (Peace).

“The idea about the song Maajabu was first presented by Fr Donne. He told us that even though you have challenges, the things you are doing are full of wonders,” Jesse said.

“More often, people living with disabilities are despised and viewed as people who are incapable of doing anything constructive. But despite living with disability, we have God-given talents within us that are full of wonders.”

The group has released many songs, including Maajabu, Amani, Shikilia, Wastahili, Uongozi, Furahia, Nchi Ni Watu and Jina la Yesu.

Their latest album, whose audio was released in February, 'is Shikilia', a clarion call for people living with disabilities to maintain hope and showcase their talents and achievements.

“My dream is to see this group in the future able to live a successful life with that singing talent they were given by God,” Fr Donne said.

“We want to build a good team of singers that can start attracting shows massively so that these team can support themselves and their families.”

CHALLENGES FACED

Despite showing immense talent and potential to shatter any ceiling, Wonders of God’s bid to grow and reach their dreams has been hindered by financial and social constraints.

For instance, Monica, the only female in the group, has been in and out of hospital due to bladder complications.

At the time we arrived at her current residence, Njiru, it was barely a week after she had been operated on.

“Monica’s situation is tough. She is living with a well-wisher in Njiru because in her Rongai home, the situation is deplorable and the mother is sick,” Fr Donne said.

“She developed blindness and that means she cannot help Monica.”

This has forced the group to more often take most of its time and resources in helping her recover.

Coming from a poor background, the group has been forced to use the available resources and sometimes conduct fundraising to keep her alive.

“For this group to meet, I need like Sh6,000 for a taxi per meeting because they cannot use a matatu, and extra money for food,” Fr Donne said.

One of the projects they have discussed is an investment in tents and seats.

“With this project, they can rent out to weddings and other social gatherings to raise funds from time to time. With that, they can foot their transportation and support their lives economically.”

So far, the group has not secured well-paying shows that can enable them to support their lives and meet their day-to-day expenses.

While some are doing something to support their lives and families, some are still in dire need of help.

Boniface desires to start a barbershop if he gets the much-needed capital. Jesse, on the other hand, would wish to get support to start poultry farming.

For Monica, helping her recover first and later a job opportunity, considering she has a diploma in ICT, would help her support her sick mother and continue with her music and basketball dream.

Fr Donne says they have knocked on several government offices to help them but they have not opened doors for them.

SUPPORT SYSTEM

The National Council of Persons With Disabilities, an umbrella body that addresses issues of groups such as Wonders of God, has no progamme to support talented members.

Samson Njapit, a corporate communications officer at NCPWD, says musicians with disabilities can actively promote themselves by creating a strong online presence.

This, he said, is by sending demos to event organisers and participating in relevant competitions to stamp an authority in their talented fields.

“NCPWD currently doesn’t have specific programmes solely dedicated to funding musical projects. It offers financial aid for education, including vocational training, and provides assistive devices,” Njapit said.

“Musicians with disabilities can inquire about equipment that can aid in their musical endeavours.”

A keen observation at the national celebrations in the country like Madaraka Day will point to one to the reality that no segment has been allocated for talented people living with disabilities.

While there might not be guaranteed participation for every event, NCPWD said they can advocate for organisers of national events to include a more diverse range of performers, specifically including talented persons with disabilities.

Njapit said they can connect aspiring musicians with disabilities to event organisers who are actively seeking talent.

 “The NCPWD recognises the potential of talented musical groups like Wonders of God. Let them continue developing their musical skills and building a strong presence online. The world is currently online,” Njapit said.

“Let them seek out opportunities to perform, collaborate with other artists and build connections within the music industry.”

Seasoned music director Joseph Nzai said PWDs are one of the most talented groups he has come across.

To make it in the music industry, he said they must be strategic and deliberate in the choice of theme they choose.

“People with disability have some of the best voices I have known, and that truly portrays how disability isn't an inability,” he said.

“But for them to stand out, they need to package their music compositions as a product cutting across several genres.”

Nzai also reiterated the need to ensure they leverage their social media platforms to create a strong presence that will attract consumers easily.

“In the world of today, social media is everything. A strong social media presence is key to ensuring they sell their products and attract show invites.”

This story has been produced by the Star in partnership with WAN IFRA Women in News Social Impact Reporting Initiative.