Story of Patricia Mativo: Disability is not inability

It happened in 2012. That’s the day Patricia Mativo lost her ability to walk.

The gruesome memories of the near-fatal accident still vividly linger in her mind. 

Patricia was travelling alongside her mother and cousin when their car suffered a tire burst – forcing the vehicle to lose control before rolling three times off the road. 

Patricia sustained injuries to her spinal cord, which saw her suffer partial paralysis to her limbs.

She was only 16 years old at the time.

Her mother and her cousin were admitted to the ICU themselves having suffered significant injuries. The two would leave the hospital a while later after recovering from their injuries.

“The early days of my new life was not easy for me. At times I would have these near-suicidal thoughts because I felt ‘useless’,” says Patricia who is now aged 26 years old.

The injury to her spine meant that she had very little control of her body.

“My family members would take turns caring for me; they would literally feed, bathe and clothe me. It was a gruelling journey I was almost giving up. I was crashed,” she recalls.

However, with the aid of therapists, counsellors and family members, she was able to collect herself into accepting the new reality, and learn how to live with the condition.

After putting in much effort, she was, with time, able to walk with the aid of crutches – this was after spending two years on a wheelchair.

Then she decided to back to school – and rejoined Form 3 at the Aloysius Gonzaga secondary school in Lang'ata in 2015.

Patricia proceeded to sit for her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination the following year and astonishingly topped her class.

“School was a whole different world for me since I felt I was coming in as a person with disability,” she says.

Adding that: “I would attract these looks, which is normal, but the many eyes to some extent brought tears to my eyes.”

Patricia would proceed to join Multimedia University of Kenya (MKU) where she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Analytical Chemistry.

It was while at the university that her journey as a crusader fighting for the rights and well being of persons living with disabilities took root.

“I spread awareness on this subject by involving myself in school politics and working with the non-governmental organizations and other relevant bodies to ensure people living with disability are involved in important activities,” she says.

Patricia is currently a coordinator for the Global Network of Youths with disabilities, Vice Chairperson of UNFPA youth advisory board as well as Kenyan champion of the South to South HIV Prevention learning network (SSLN).

“I also go for bigger opportunities, I am a Rhodes scholar finalist, and a Ms President contestant for Season 2 that recently ended,” she says.

Patricia believes that she is a living proof that indeed disability is not inability as she uses her story to motivate her peers undergoing the same or worse conditions to never give up.

“I am a mental health advocate, and through sharing my experiences I am able to prove that there is hope even when the chances of surviving look thin,” Patricia states.