MatSouth NGO equipping institutions with disability mainstreaming
MatSouth NGO equipping institutions with disability mainstreaming
July 26, 2023
Choice News Africa Correspondent
Gwanda – Matabeleland South based Non-governmental organization Nkomwa Foundation Trust (NFT) recently conducted institutional capacitation on social inclusion to institutions, in the organisation’s quest to equip every institute with disability information.
Nkomwa Foundation and Redcross capacitation workshop. Choice News Africa
Zimbabwe Redcross Society Matabeleland South Province and Senondo Seventh Day Adventist church are also the beneficiaries to receive intensive capacitation.
Nkomwa Foundation reaching out to churches in Gwanda. Choice News Africa
Social inclusion is a strategy in response to a situation in which certain groups in society are systematically excluded from opportunities that are open to others. Those groups can be discriminated against on the basis of sex, age, clan, ethnic background, disability, health status, religion, sexual orientation, where they live and other social identity.
Social inclusion ensures that socially excluded people have equal conditions for realising their full human rights and potential to contribute to national, political, economic, social, cultural development, and benefit from the results.
According to the World Health Organisation, there are 650 million (11%) people with disabilities (PWD) in the world. This group of people would be the most uneducated, the most unemployed, they would have the least transport, housing and many family problems. From a Christian perspective they are the most unreached people in the world.
Unfortunately, due to inaccessible buildings, negative attitudes, ignorance and some incorrect teaching, PWDs are not generally included in the life of the Church. There are many misconceptions about disability in the world and in the church.
Fear and a lack of understanding cause people with disabilities to be ignored. Further, those people with disabilities in the Church have endured much wrong teaching regarding faith and healing. Some Churches will not allow people with disabilities into the church.
In the business world, People with disabilities continue to experience various barriers in their day to day living. Persons with disabilities are not a homogenous group. They may have a physical disability, a sensory, intellectual or mental disability.
They may have had a disability from birth, or acquired this in their childhood, teenage years or later in life, during further education or while in employment. Their disability may have little impact on their ability to work and take part in society, or it may have a major impact, requiring considerable support and assistance.
The attitudinal barriers in the sectors bear a big brunt in failure to uphold social inclusion approach.
The gaps identified by Nkomwa Foundation Trust (NFT) saw the organisation rolling out these institutional capacitation. The institutions were capacitated on disability, disability sensitisation types of impairments, disability models, and disability legislative framework and on strategies to implement the social inclusion. The programs consist the practical side and participants were taught on Deaf culture and Basic Sign language.
One of the participants, a congregant known as Dumisani Matshelela acknowledged the gaps in church and failure to uphold social inclusion.
“Today’s session was an eye opener, issues we took so lightly matters most. I am so challenged to change my mindset.” Said Matshelela.
The NFT Country Director acknowledged the impact produced by these capacitation trainings. He said there is need for continuous sessions till there is a correct attitude towards disability in the society.
“The inmost need of a person with a disability is the same as anyone else, forgiveness, acceptance and love. Just as much as persons with disabilities need the Lord in their lives, so too, does the church need PWDs.
The Church is simply not complete without persons with disabilities. Let’s provide an atmosphere, whereby they can realise their full potential and the purpose, which God has for their lives.” Said Pick Nkomwa.