From Isolation to Belonging: Yesua’s Journey
Stories | Published: October 20, 2026
Yesua became disabled at the age of three after a snake bite. When his father died while he was still a teenager, he was forced to leave school and become the main provider for his family. Through sheer determination, he built a life as a farmer, raised seven children, and worked tirelessly to support them.
Yet despite his hard work, Yesua lived with a deep sense of isolation. He was repeatedly excluded from community groups and rejected whenever he tried to join local farmer associations. For years, he felt invisible.
Everything changed when he received an invitation to join an Inclusive Economic Group.
For the first time in his life, Yesua became part of a group where he was welcomed and respected. There, he learned something that profoundly changed the way he saw himself. He discovered that people with conditions like his are referred to as people with disabilities, not by the derogatory labels he had heard throughout his life.
“That moment lifted my dignity,” – Yesua
Today, Yesua is not only an active group member but also a community advocate. He has confidently spoken with village leaders about establishing a production center that would help group members improve, certify, and market their products more widely.
Once isolated and excluded, Yesua now has a voice, a network, and a renewed sense of purpose.
https://www.cbm.org.au/stories/disability-inclusion-yesua
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