DISABILTY IN ZIMBABWE

BEYONG THE LABEL: TALES OF STRENTH, COURAGE AND HOPE

On a dusty path in rural Zimbabwe, a young girl named Tariro watches other children run to school. She sits quietly in her wheelchair, its wheels stuck in the loose sand, as her mother waves goodbye to the passing neighbours. The school is 7 kilometers away, but the uneven ground and absence of ramps make it an impossible journey for her. Every morning is a reminder, not just of the distance to education, but of the gulf created by attitudes, infrastructure, and systems that were never built with her in mind.

It is undisputable that Persons with disabilities, and in particular children and youths in their diverse constituency groups, are among the most marginalized in Zimbabwe. These children face a multifaceted crisis marked by stigma, marginalization, bullying, abuse, and exclusion. These challenges not only violate their fundamental human rights but also hinder their development and integration into society.

They face inaccessible infrastructure, societal stigma, bullying and a critical lack of assistive technology. They are denied not only access to quality education, but also the dignity of full participation in society. At the heart of this problem lies a deeply entrenched cultural narrative that views disability as a curse, punishment, or burden. Myths and beliefs in spiritual sacrifices (kuchekeresa), witchcraft, or ancestral wrath, result in children with disabilities being hidden from public life, institutionalized, or regarded as sub-human.

Traditional beliefs have historically influenced attitudes toward disability. Common myths include the notions that disabilities are caused by evil spirits, curses, or witchcraft, and that they can be cured by witchdoctors.These beliefs have led to various negative attitudes, such as the misconception that disabilities are contagious or that they bring bad luck.These myths resulted in poor treatment and limited education for children with disabilities, who were often only taught basic hygiene and excluded from more comprehensive education.

In certain villages, families have been avoided entirely because they had a child with Down syndrome neighbors fearing that “misfortune” might spread to their own households.Historically, people with disabilities have been stereotyped in many different ways. Some of the stereotypes used to label people with disabilities persist in the mind of the public today.Labels that are used to refer to persons with intellectual impairments, “Benzi, Mupengo or Zungairwa” suggesting that they are retarded, fools, insane or mad.                                                                                                                    These names perpetuate the notion that someone with an impairment needs to have decisions made on their behalf. Educating such children is regarded as a waste of resources.Its sad that children living with disabilities are identified by their impairment and not by their name. For example “Mu Zim care” a child with intellectual disorders because he is cared by an institute called “Zimbabwe Cares Trust” or Mu Jairos Jiri or weku Danhiko” because these institutions care for physically challenged.