By Emmanuel Kwada
Kenyan Senator Crystal Asige captivated attendees at the 2025 Haske Satumari Foundation Annual Colloquium in Abuja today with a deeply personal story of resilience.
Diagnosed with glaucoma at age 20 while studying in the UK, Asige shared how she was told her condition—more aggressive in Black Africans due to darker eye pigmentation—would leave her blind by 25.
“This is not the kind of thing a kid imagines they’d be told,” she said, reflecting on the shattering of her dreams to become a famous musician and actress.
My CV got me into job interviews, but when they saw me with my disability, nothing I said could convince them
Facing rejection after losing her sight, Asige recounted how employers dismissed her despite her qualifications, and friends drifted away, leaving her a “shell” of herself.
“My CV got me into job interviews, but when they saw me with my disability, nothing I said could convince them,” she revealed. Yet, she found purpose in what she now calls a “painful yet deeply purposeful curveball” from God.
Embracing her identity as a “Visually Impaired Person” (VIP)—a term she coined after a compassionate encounter in London—Asige turned adversity into advocacy.
I was given this mountain to show others it can be moved
Her boldness led her to create music that gained national attention in Kenya, catching the eye of the Orange Democratic Movement, which nominated her to the Senate.
Today, recognized as one of Kenya’s top-performing senators and a 2024 TIME 100 Next honoree, she is pushing groundbreaking disability laws to change lives.
“I was given this mountain to show others it can be moved,” she told the audience, inspiring a new narrative for women, youth, and PWDs across Africa.
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