Disability no hindrance to Isiolo film animations maker

When Maryam Salad was born in 2003, her parents were afraid that she would never do anything by herself. She had soft bones which fractured easily.

For them, taking care of this delicate child was initially a demanding and delicate task. But they soon learned how to do it with more ease.

Due to her condition, Maryam couldn't interact with other children in the neighbourhood, forcing her parents to confine her at their home in Bula, Isiolo County.

When she reached school-going age, her mother, Hadija Salad, would carry her on her back to and from the nearby Bulampya Primary School.

Multiple surgeries at Kijabe Hospital while aged 10 enabled her to stretch her hands, raising her parents' optimism that her condition could improve.

Months later, they discovered that Maryam had a talent for drawing after she drew a cartoon she saw on a textbook in school while in Class Four.

"My elder brother was the first person I showed the drawing and he was amazed I could draw," she told The Eastleigh Voice.

Maryam Salad with her mother Hadija Salad at their home in Bula, Isiolo County. (Photo: Waweru Wairimu)

Over the years, Maryam has perfected her innate skills and her art is mainly of nature, cartoons, people and movie characters.

She went commercial while in Form Three at Bulampya Secondary School after a piece of her artwork was shared online, attracting praise from residents and local leaders.

Former Isiolo Governor Mohamed Kuti, former nominated Senator Abshiro Halakhe and Isiolo Catholic Bishop Anthony Mukobo are among the people that Maryam sold portraits to while in secondary school, each at Sh5,000.

"I draw while observing the live model or object and it takes me between two to five hours depending on the complexity of the work," she said.

She made over 100 drawings, mainly of musicians and cartoons such as Tangled during the Covid-19 pandemic that saw schools closed to stem the spread of the disease.

She also participated in a 2021 joint project of painting a local school wall with anti-Covid-19 messages.

"I have been sharing my work online though I haven't been able to get as many customers as I would want," she said.

Inspiration

Maryam, who draws inspiration from her mother, recently ventured into 3D animation after a local philanthropist gifted her a laptop, though she lacks a drawing tablet.

Animation is a filmmaking technique of creating motion in still images.

Maryam Salad displays a piece of her art she made, (Photo: Waweru Wairimu)

She had a year ago benefited from a six-month training by the Kenya Film Classification Board in Nyeri County, but could not put the skills into use due to lack of requisite equipment.

"I have learnt more techniques on YouTube which has improved my skills. I have already produced short animated videos and I am still perfecting the art," Maryam said.

She said with determination and support, persons living with disabilities could excel and achieve their dreams.

Maryam is unable to go for required medical check-ups every three months due to financial constraints as her mother, who is the family's sole breadwinner following the demise of her father years ago, has no stable source of income.

"She uses Sh3,000 on drugs every month which I can't afford, making me beg for support from well-wishers," Hadija said.

She remains hopeful that help will come her way to enable her to achieve her dream of pursuing an art course which would hone her drawing and animation skills.

"I would like to join college soon but there are no resources. The money we get goes directly to food and taking care of other basic needs," Maryam said.

Her elder brother, who is an accountant, would have supported their mother in fending for the family and taking care of her needs but he is jobless, she said.

Different from other people with disabilities, Maryam says she has never experienced any mistreatment due to her condition and appreciates her schoolmates for contributing to her positive mindset.

"Everyone at the school looked after me. They made me feel part of them. They treated me well which made me develop some positivity which I believe has made me who I am today," she said.

During the rainy seasons, her classmates would pick her up from her home and take her back in the evening as her wheelchair could not wade through the black cotton mud in her village.