The Sunday News
Mthabisi Tshuma, Sunday News Reporter
PEOPLE with disabilities have expressed concern over lack of acceptance they face from the society saying the stigma has stunted their growth and achievement of their aspirations amid Covid-19.
In an interview, Nkomwa Foundation Trust (NFT) founder Mr Pick Nkomwa who leads over 150 members of the organisation that addresses challenges and gaps faced by people with disabilities, said most of their members in Gwanda were struggling to fend for themselves in an economy affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The differently-abled persons in Gwanda encounter various challenges in their lives. The challenges include lack of acceptance by family members.
It is unfortunate that people with disabilities are still discriminated against. In most cases mothers are being left in custody of children who are differently-able,” he said.
Mr Nkomwa said communities were still treating people with disabilities as second class citizens.
“In Gwanda there is a challenge. There are no schools that cater for our needs right from the infrastructure to the human resources.
“There is also lack of educational support for those who manage to enrol at primary and secondary school. In town there is no pre-school that accommodates children who are differently-abled hence they are lagging behind.
There is also failure to access health services and justice services due to inaccessible infrastructure as well as lack of officers who are conversant in sign language,” said Mr Nkomwa.
He added that there was no deliberate policy for people with disabilities to have their share in market stalls resulting in them being economically impoverished.
“We survive on vending but a majority of us do not have our own designated places to conduct our businesses for survival.
Covid-19-induced lockdowns caused serious suffering to people with disabilities with a high rate of sexual abuse and GBV as many people took advantage of us.
Persons with albinism lack basic necessities too like lotions and cultural practices still being practised infringe on the rights of people with disabilities,” said Mr Nkomwa.
He said there was a trend they have observed as an organisation where many children with disabilities were dumped with elderly people who were no longer able to care for them. – @mthabisi_mthire
