Jean de Dieu Uwukunda is proving that what limits us is our imagination. Despite being vision impaired, the Rwandan artist has created a thriving career in painting and drawing.
His blindness has not hampered his ability to create art, including portraits, sketches of humans and animals, and architecture, all of which rely greatly on eyesight.
He has developed his artistic abilities, which are a major way for him to express himself and deal with the difficulties of life.
However, Uwukunda recounts it didn’t come easy.
The New Times reports that the artist was not born blind. However, following his graduation from secondary school, Uwukunda had a short illness that began as a headache and ultimately led to his blindness.
He told Africa News, “Once I became blind, I realized that there’s no need to stay in bed all day, I decided to resume my painting activities. I was depressed for a whole year, I couldn’t even speak, I spent so much time thinking about what’s next for my painting hobby. I asked God for a little bit of vision, as time went by, I gained a bit of sight from one eye. That’s how I managed to resume painting.”
Uwukunda now supports his family with his work, earning around 40,000 Rwandan Francs (roughly $40) per drawing to cover their rent.
In an emotional ceremony in 2021, he married Chantal Vuguziga, who is also vision impaired. They became a three-member household.
“Sitting here, knowing that I got her (Chantal) as my wife, I feel like a general in the army,” he said to the the New Times at the time.
Uwukunda faced several difficulties in his personal life as a result of his visual impairment. He emphasized the limited options for disabled people and advocated for increased government funding to enable disabled artists to thrive.
Meanwhile, the Rwanda Union of the Blind’s Masaka Resource Center director offered his perspective on why disabled people receive little assistance.
He told Africa News, “Jado was a student in this institution, he was talented and very determined to thrive against all odds. It’s true that disabled people do get handouts from the government but installing self-reliant abilities in the disabled people is what is being prioritized , especially by a private institution like hours”.
There were 744,000 visually handicapped people in Rwanda as of 2020. The Masaka resource center only accepts about 50 students at the start of each year; it invites more Rwandans to join similar rehabilitation facilities to gain skills and knowledge and live a better life.
Their website states that their mission is to “work towards the improvement of the situation of blind people through education and rehabilitation to facilitate meaningful equality and integration.”
