Mr. Ability is a story about the resilience, purpose, determination, and above all the power of the mind. Simon Peter may be physically impaired as his hands are non functional but he has the mindset of a champion.
In a country where in the recent past and sparsely today disability is considered a curse and many babies born with an visible deformities were/are dumped in pit latrines, rubbish pits and left for dead and the few that survive(d) and live(d) through life were/are not treated as equal as normal people, he sets the value of humanity and equality high.
He wakes up every morning to make his art pieces out of old nylon sacks, threads and a needle, work that needs precision, patience and passion to pull off.
He looks after his ailing mother, his sister who is a single mother to twin daughters as many able bodied youth in the city wake up to go beg on the streets, pick pocket, kill and rob for a living.
He has made a very special piece for the president of Uganda he hope to get his attention one day and sale it to him for a special fee that will help him treat his mother, build rental units on his father’s land also construct a small shop for his side business which is sale of soda, phone credit scratch cards and other trinkets.
Therefore Mr. Ability is not just Simon Peter but all people around the world who have refused to be classified and degraded, who rise up and fight for their passion no matter the challenges around them. I hope this story forms a foundation for fundamental change not just in my country for disabled people but around the world for humanity. I also hope that with support of friends on the social media, we can get him to sale his special piece to the president and make his dream come true.
About the Filmmaker
Submitted by Okuyo Joel Atiku Prynce
Prynce is a 6 time award winning actor, model, director. His debut role at the age of 6 for his school in the national schools drama competition got him recognition as the best actor even when his school came 4th.
He has never looked back since then. although his mother says he has always been pretty good at imitating everything he saw, he loved imitating his dad and he did it to the nuance. He is mentioned as a pretty good fine artist and painter by his schoolmates and teachers, which talent he took from his father who is a fine artist graduate turned soldier.
He started photography at the age of 9 when his father brought him a gift of a 16mm lomo camera when he returned from his commando training in the former USSR. He an artist by nature and a social worker by profession.
He has lectured in Uganda’s top Universities, created social enterprises to help the youth of the ghetto’s of Kampala among other works in his community. He continues to be an inspiration to many young people, a testimony of “when you put your mind to it you can achieve it.”
Filmmaker’s Website: http://www.prynce.com