Disability sensitisation for Datata community

By Choice Magazine

Gwanda – Matabeleland South based Nkomwa Foundation Trust, a disability organisation has organised yet another interactive disability sensitisation training workshop for Datata community, where villagers were capacitated on disability rights, mechanisms, gender-based violence and welfare.

The eye-opening collaborative sensitisation was meant to buttress the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) which mandates that people with disability have rights to documentation, right to vote, right to marriage among others.Ward two senior villager, Head Thabani Thwala bemoaned that People with disability (PWDs) are still infringed to exercise such rights.

“I grew up in male-controlled society, where women were considered second class citizens. It was much painful when it comes to PWDs. No education was accepted to them nor basic training skills.When it comes to inheritance it was way pathetic, words like “Uzazenzani inkomo yena eyisilima were shared,” Thwala narrated.In the yesteryear, women were victimized or labelled for conceiving a child with albinism.

Currently mothers leave their children to relatives, this on its own has fuelled the cases of abuse especially to the children with disabilities. NFT Ward 2 Officer Ms Barbra Nkala stressed on this doctrine.“Families usually do cover-up when a child is physically or sexually abused by their relatives and such issues go unattended to.As NFT we seek to uproot such doctrine and make sure that justice prevail at any cost,” Ms Barbra Nkala said.Nkomwa Foundation Trust Programmes and Communications Manager Miss Monitor Beloved Ncube told Choice News Africa thatthey are prepared to ensure justice prevail especially in rural set-up.“It is shocking to have a cattle ticket while your daughter does not have a birth certificate or health card.

An animal gets better treatment as compared to a child with a disability. We seek to tackle such regular tendency. We advocate for inclusivity and equity among human beings, “Ms Ncube highlighted.The Disability Ambassador Mr. Pick Nkomwa said it takes one’s open heart to accept persons with disabilities.“See a person first before disability, that’s an inclusive society we desire. The challenge we have is that our colleagues are being abused by relatives and easily silenced by food, fees or shelter this has seen a lot of people with disabilities living in hazardous environment,” said Nkomwa.

The Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council, was also carrying out the sensitisation workshop in conjunction with NFT.Mothers and young women with disabilities in the village managed to get family planning services, but however male involvement in such platforms are still lagging behind.