'Pipo dey make me fear say I go born pikin wey get autism' - Dilo Chiamaka

Produced by Victor Ezeama and Gift Ufuoma

Pipo wey get autism na pipo wey get special needs wey dem dey treat wit care.

However, no be everi body dey gree near dem, but Dilo Maureen Chiamaka always dey happy to dey wit dem.

Chiamaka na female barber wey dey like to cut hair of old pipo and children wit special needs.

She be undergraduate student of Federal polytechnic, Oko for Anambra state, Southeast Nigeria.

'Why I dey give free hair cut'

Chiamaka na 23-year-old student wey dey study Microbiology.

She hope to be Nurse and author afta graduation.

She say since she sabi barb hair she discover say many pipo no dey fit afford am.

"Dis na why I decide to begin give free hair cut to physically challenged pipo, old pipo and di less privileged," she tell BBC Pidgin.

She say: "every month, I dey visit at least two to three villages dey look for pipo wey need haircut.

"I dey also visit some secondary schools wey dey interior villages go barb dem."

'Autistic children dey special'

Chiamaka say she dey enjoy wen she dey take care of pipo wit special needs sake of dem dey happy to see her too.

She say pipo wey dey autistic dey wound dia sef wen dey play or wen dem involve for any activity - "e dey pain me wen I see dem injure dia sef."

Di undergraduate say many of di children don dey abandoned while odas no get parents.

"Anytime I see dis autistic children I go first play wit dem to make dem feel calm.

"Most times I go buy tins for dem, play wit dem and make dem laff so dat dem no go tink say you wan harm dem," she tok.

'Pipo say I fit born autistic pikin sake of my closeness to dem'

She say she don suffer discrimination as female barber and pipo dey wonder why "I no dey do oda tins instead of barning".

Chiamaka also say some pipo dey feel say she go contract sickness as she dey play and touch di children.

But dat one na lie as autism no be communicable disease, according to World Health Organization.

She say "Pipo dey tok to me anyhow. Sometimes dem go say why I dey use my money dey do free tins for pipo.

"Some pipo say as I neva born I no suppose dey come close to these children. Dem go put fear for my body say wat if I born pikin wey get autism and my response by say if I get children wey dey like dat I no go throway dem."

Wetin be autism?

According to WHO, autism na development condition wey fit make di brain of pesin wey get am work different from how oda pipo own dey work.

Di United Nations health agency estimate say about one in 100 children get autism.

Everi pesin wey get autism dey different in im own way.

Some fit live, learn and work by demself, but odas dey find am difficult to learn.

Chiamaka Dilo say life don happun to her and her dream na to fit run her non governmental organization wey go allow her to provide and take care of more autistic children and old pipo.