Chiwaula disAbility Blog

About Politicians and Disability

2011-11-24T02:53:00.000-08:00

In my many years as a Disability Activist, I have had the chance to learn about the different perceptions people have towards disability issues. One category that has interested me is that of the politicians.

I have been amazed by the high levels of deceiption and hypocricy when it comes to the issues related to disability. I would like to admit that disability in my country is a not a very attractive commodity and therefore, although there is not much in it that the politicians can use to meet their egos or political agenda.

There are,however, cases when disability issues become handy in terms of their enhancing their political capital.

In Africa particulary, my country Malawi, assistive devices like wheelchairs are out of reach for many persons with disabilities. Sights of them crawling as they go about in their day to day business fending for their survival is common place. Most wheelchairs that are found are donations from developing countries most of which are not appropriate for the users,having been made without taking their needs into consideration.

Attempts to produce local appropriate wheelchairs have remain thwarted due to lack of government support since disability is not regarded as a priority area. But the intriguing thing is that when donated wheelchair come into the country,politicians are quick to get them and enjoy television cameras posing as philanthropists. Assistive devices such as wheelchairs have been highly policised to gain political milage.However,these are the moments when disability becomes attractive.

I recall the story of a politician who when he was in a position of power, as a cabinet minister responsible for health could not bend to pressure of increasing funding towards rehabiltation services because 'government had no money' He got a stroke that ended up him being a wheelchair user and in need of rehabilitation services,the very thing he had refused to support in the past.

The moral of the story is that life can be deceiptive sometimes in that when one is enjoying the best of their health they forget that the possibilities of becoming disabled are very high. I wish people opened their eyes to this reality!!

CONCERNS ON THE MINISTRY’S RESPONSE ON CHALLENGES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

2011-05-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

31 May 2011 – Federation of Disability Organisations in Malawi (FEDOMA) and Child Rights Information and Documentation Centre (CRIDOC) would like to express our disappointment at the manner in which the Minister of Persons with Disability and the Elderly, Hon. Reen Kachere, responded to a question in Parliament last week regarding the status of the Disability Bill, the enactment of which, could address the current state of many buildings in the country that are still not disability-friendly.

FEDOMA is an umbrella organisation of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) in Malawi established to provide a unified voice for all persons with disabilities with the mission of enhancing their welfare and enabling them play their rightful role in society. CRIDOC is non-profit organisation established to contribute towards the promotion and protection of rights and development of children and young people through information exchange, information documentation and information dissemination.

FEDOMA and CRIDOC recall that the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mangochi Central, Hon. Dr. Clement Chiwaya, wanted to find out what Government was doing in terms of enacting the long awaiting Disability Bill to ensuring that public buildings across the country were easily accessible by persons with disabilities. However, in its response, the Ministry for Persons with Disabilities fell short of acknowledging the current challenges that persons with disabilities continue face, and instead only assured the MP that government was doing everything right as evidenced by Hon. Chiwaya himself whom, according to the Ministry, had found his way into the Parliament building because it was designed in such a way that it is easily accessible for Persons with Disabilities.

While FEDOMA and CRIDOC appreciates some of the successes that Government and its stakeholders have achieved so far – key among them is the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the development of the National Policy on Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities – we note that as a county we have a long way to go in addressing the countless challenges that many persons with disabilities face on the ground, including accessibility into pubic buildings.

We further note that Ministry’s response did not reflect the broader picture on the ground, and we find the Ministry’s remarks lacking both honesty and respect for thousands of persons with disabilities who are still looking up to Government to address these challenges. One may be tempted to believe that the response was only meant to politicise the issues affecting persons with disabilities so as to paint a rosy picture when the situation on the ground is not exactly what the Ministry wants everyone to believe. The case of Hon. Dr. Chiwaya easily accessing Parliament building is, in our considered opinion, trivial. We would like to put it on record that many buildings still do not have ramps to enhance accessibility for persons with disabilities, including in public schools. As we speak, primary education is facing high enrollment rates and studies reveal that numbers of children with disabilities in mainstream schools is growing thereby resulting in the increase of special needs education, including those with physical disabilities.

Furthermore, although the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have the potential to make life better for billions of people in the world's poorest countries, disability is currently not included in indicators and targets set for the MDGs and Persons with Disabilities are often excluded from international and national poverty reduction plans due mainly to attitudes of society and policy makers. It is for this reason that at national level, issues pertaining to persons with disabilities have not yet been sufficiently included in the new Malawi Growth Development Strategy (MDGS II) despite efforts by the disability sector’s to input the document being at the final stage.

In conclusion, FEDOMA and CRIDOC urge Government, Parliamentarians and other Policy Makers to put in the Nationnal Disability Legislation which will go a long way in addressing the needs of persons with disabilities. We urge Government, in particular, that the best way of demonstrating its commitment towards addressing the challenges is neither to be on the defensive nor politicising issues affecting Persons with Disabilities by highlighting the trivia.

Rather, we urge Government authorities to honestly begin acknowledging the challenges on the ground and strategically engaging all development stakeholders in making Malawi a better place to live in for every citizen.

SIGNED:

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Mussa Chiwaula
Executive Director
The Federation of Disability Organisations in Malawi (FEDOMA)
P.O. Box 797, Blantyre, MALAWI
Tel: +2651840 547
Fax: +2651840 549
E-mail: mchiwaula@fedomamw.org
Website: www.fedoma.net

--------------------------------------
George Mwika Kayange
Executive Director
Child Rights Information and Documentation Centre (CRIDOC)
P. O. Box 3247, Lilongwe, MALAWI
Tel: +2651750058 / +2651976 429
Cell: +265999272936
E-mail: info@cridoc.net
Website: www.cridoc.net

Why We Need Disability Legislation Today!

2011-04-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

It has been a long while since I made any posting on this blog.Quite a lot has happened,needless to say,during this period of silence. We have started this year with yet one unfinished business and that is the failure by Government to pass the Bill which we had hoped would be enacted last year. The Disability Bill is one whose value many people do not appreciate because by its very nature of being related to disability many unthinkingly detach themselves from its relevance. They merely think that it does not affect them in any way. But I beg to differ because of the following reasons:

Every so called non disabled individual is potentially disabled and, therefore, the provisions in the Disability Bill such as the need for accessible design for buildings in conformity to the universal designs become very essential when one suddenly finds himself or herself using a wheelchair,something that they never anticipated. There are many living examples to attest to this fact which I am sure many of us have witnessed.
Not only that,one or a loved one can one day become become blind and it is only then the talk about the importance of braille starts to make sense.The Disability Bill has a provision that makes braille very imperative to create an barrier free society where the visually impaired can easily communicate.

People have automatically lost jobs just because they have acquired a disability inspite of the fact that the impairment has not affected their capacity to continue working, in the Disability Bill there will be legislation that will protect such from discrimination.

Your child may become one of the children who is deprived of right to education just because it is born with a disability or acquires one thereby denying her or him of a bright future.The Disability Bill if enacted will assist in addressing this unfair situation.

I am sure the above examples are realities that we come across in life and there are concrete proof that the issues to do with disability should not be something that we distance our selves from and push it to others. It is something that can become a reality in our lives. Yes,there is no guarantee!

The 'Shadow' Member of Parliament

2010-11-26T01:37:00.000-08:00

Last week I befriended a bright young man in Mulanje, in the Southern part of Malawi by the name of Alinafe Alick who is aged 12 years and is in standard 5. I had gone to Mulanje at the invitation of the Assosciation of the Physically Disabled of Malawi who have quite a huge membership in the place.

I was struck by the high level of confidence of this sharp young man who confided in me that when he grows up he would like to be a Member of Parliament.Alinafe spoke with such a sense of conviction that left me with no shadow of doubt that here was a man with a mission.
Alinafe who scooped the first position last year when he was in standard 4, had come to attend the meeting accompanied by his young nephew.

Alinafe is one of fortunate children with disabilities who are able to go to school against a backdrop where according to statstics 35% of children with disabilities are not able to access education due to a number of factors among which are: lack of assistive devices such as wheelchairs,crutches;inaccessible classrooms; negative attitudes of teachers and even parents and lack of enough well trained teachers. Alinafe ,unlike a lot of his peers does have an old wheelchair that is proving to be a very useful friend to him by enabling him to be mobile and attend school. It is sad that the majority of children with disabilities will not be able to benefit from the Millenium Development Goals due to lack of indicators targeting disability issues making it be difficult to measure any impact. One cannot talk of development if one section of the society lags behind and therefore if this fact is overlooked,it means that any efforts to meet the target of the MDGs by 2015 will remain but a pipe dream.

Governments should invest in the education of Alinafe and his peers so that we build a generation of well educated disabled people otherwise the opposite is building a generation of beggars which is more costly in terms of unproductivity.

It is only when this done that my friend Alinafe will be able to complete his education and fullfil his ambition of becoming an MP.Who knows?

ABOUT DISABILITY AND ASSISTIVE DEVICES

2010-10-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a long time since I posted any blog. I should confess that I was caught up with so many things including having to contend with my college assignments which I had to balance with both my job and family commitments.Time has been so fast for me.

But its a great pleasure to be back on the disAbility blog.A friend of mine, Charles Khaula ,has in any attempt to ease his mobility problems, imported a disability friendly vehicle from Japan having reliased that it is a nightmare if not an illusion for someone using a wheelchair to use the minibuses that carry the passangers around town.Firstly,it extremely difficult for these buses to accomodate the wheelchairs and tricyles and also the drivers and conductors do no have the patience to wait for the slow process of those disabled individuals who are able to get into the bus,because the drivers are in a rush to make more money before the end of the day.

When my friend ordered the vehicle,little did he imagine that this would create countless headaches for him.Because when the vehicle finally arrived in the country,he was charged heavy customs duty which was beyond what he could afford.He tried to reason with the authorities to give special consideration insisting that this vehicle is not a luxury but a means to assist him because now at his age he is no longer as strong as used to be.The authorities could not budge arguing that they were just going by the book! He tried to contact the Ministry for Persons with Disabilities to come to his rescue, attempts which bore no fruits.
Meanwhile the storage fees at the bond are also accumilating.
The development has given rise to many questions:Here is a situation where someone has a made lots of sacrifice to get something that will he ease his life in terms of his mobility because the public transport system is such that it cannot accomodate his need due to its inaccessible nature yet he is being penalised for something which is not of his own making.It is very clear that our disability laws are antiquated and are not in tandem with current paradigm shift to disability as both a human rights issue and also development issue as stipulated in the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The life of a disabled person is very expensive because the facilities that enable him or her to be both self reliant and independent are out of reach for the majority of disabled people especially in Africa. I strongly believe that there is urgent need for the enactment of the Disability Bill that has been in limbo for the last six years whose absence explains why my friend Charles is found in this unpleasant predicament he is in right now. The stalling of the Bill has caused unnecessary suffering for many disabled people: children denied education due to lack of assistive devices and inaccessible infrastructure; people failing to access health facilities and others. The government has a moral obligation to correct this situation that perpetuates the demeaning of the sons and daughters of Mother Malawi!

My Experience At College

2010-07-01T03:04:00.000-07:00

I enrolled at the local University for a degree course in Managing Rural Community Development where I have to study for two years before I can graduate.Lecturers have been surprised that I have opted for this course when I had some background in Human Resource Management which would have easily enabled me to pursue a Masters Degree.
But my role as a disability activist, for many years, has facilitated some interface with the rural communities, resulting in such a burning inclination and passion towards dealing with issues of the rural masses.By the way,, 90% of disabled people in Malawi live in the rural areas.

My arrival at college campus raised a lot of issues that the College Authorities need thought of.To begin I had to grapple with the issues of access.The entrance into the college complex was not friendly,steps instead of ramps and also access to the library, a headache. I raised these issues with authorities and they quickly put a ramp on the entrance which was still too steep and narrow for a wheelchair but was still useful for me to start classes while they looked at ways of improving it.

I also found a fellow student in his third year who is blind and also happens to be a well known disability activist.So the college had to also contend with issues of braille transcription in order to accommodate his needs-quite an unexpected lot for the college authorities!

Fellow students on the campus have been very welcome and trying their level best to accommodate us. I know that the process of transformation at the College has started and by the time we complete our course with the college,it will never be the same. I know it will be a slow process but eventually positive change will come because it has already started taking root.

CELEBRATING MY BIRTHDAY

2010-02-08T02:48:00.000-08:00

I have just celebrated my 55th birthday on Wednesday 2009 and the following day the one of Malawi’s dailies, the Daily Times featured an article which was written about in 1981 when I did my first ever solo Art Exbhition at one of the top hotels in Blantyre.

Of course I looked very young with an expression that depicted a sense of expression.I was amazed by the concidence of this picture coming out in the paper at a time when I was celebrating my birthday! Friends and relatives phoned me from different places to find out whether I had seen the picture.

Looking at the picture, I reminisced and reflected at a number of things that have happened to me since. Needless to say I am aging and the Good Lord has given me a lot of good things to cherish and one of which is a beautiful wife and children who have enriched my life giving it a lot of meaning.

My marrigage to my wife was something that was both exciting and tearful at the sometime! Exciting because we had grown up together in the same mining town years back in Zimbabwe.That time she was very small and I never imagined that there could ever be a time when we could become husband and wife.We were both born in the same place and also attended the same school.

Our parents were friends and they happened to belong to the same tribe. They had travelled from Malawi to Zimbabwe to seek work in the mines. When my father retired to come home to Malawi we were the first to come leaving behind her parents who were still working in Zimbabwe. She was then sent to come and live in Malawi with her grandmother and that was when we met and fell in love.

Unfortunately, when her parents heard about this they were not amused and were very much against the marriage but by that time she was pregnant so there was little they could do. The idea that their daughte was married to someone with a disability was something they could not stomach and they made that clear to me. They wondered how a disabled person like me was going to care for their daughter! I was very saddened and shocked!

My wife stood her ground and vowed that she was not goinng to bend towards her parents wishes,hence we continued living together. God blessed our family and we were endowed with beautiful children and our home was a model of happiness and love in the neighbourhood.Even the sceptics including my parents in law were astounded.
They realised that inspite of my disability I was able to sustain for my family,sending my children to school and ven supporting them. This changed their mindset such that today they are very supportive and apologised for what happened.

As I celebrate my birthday,I feel that life is a great teacher and that positive living is one of the greatest weapons to fight discrimination.Disabled people need to demonstrate that disability is not ability through their lifestyle. That is the only weapon that can transform our society.

Today my kids have grown big and two are about to graduate from colleage. As I look back I smile as I marvel at the grace of our awesome God!

2009 Has Come and Gone

2010-01-13T00:30:00.000-08:00

The year 2009 has come and gone. Looking in retrospect in terms of disability, perhaps one positive development in the year was the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the government putting Malawi among the number countries have taken step to accept this historic step.
Indeed this was quite ground breaking in as far as the history of the disability movement was concerned. But for this achievement to really become more meaningful and it needs to go beyond pen and paper in order to change the lives of the majority of persons with disabilities who still lead lives that are deprived and marginalized.

The challenge that remains is for the convention to be domesticated and enforced so that it is translated from a paper into a tool that is able to assist in bringing to food to disabled people and their families; create more educational opportunities for disabled children; create their training and job opportunities and ultimately build an inclusive society where disabled persons are able to maximize their fullest potential.

The Convention has been ratified at a time when the Government has still unfinished business in terms finalizing the implementation plan of the National Policy on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities which was launched in 2008 with a lot of pomp.

In addition to that, the Government has been grappling with the Disability Bill which has been in limbo for the last five years or so. The Bill which has been developed in tune with principles of the UN Convention has been described by disability analysts as one of the best pieces of legislation in the region and if enacted could provide very effective legislative framework that could used as a launched pad for the empowerment of persons with disabilities in the country.

The lack of capacity of the Ministry for Persons withn Disabilities and the Elderly which is charged to deal with these issues has also contributed to the state of affairs.The Ministry has been ill equiped to propel this process in the right direction.Disability analysists attribute this to the fact that the Ministry has been engrossed with the issues of the elderly at the expense of that of disability.

The status quo has perpetuated the both the discrimination and stigmitisation of persons with disabilitiesn and this has also been detrimental to efforts towards the mai

MALAWI RATIFIES THE UN CONVENTION

2009-09-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

I learnt with glee that Malawi finally ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. I was somewhat amazed that this was done without any hype or fanfare.

Malawi joins a community of nations that have made a commitment in ensuring that all policies, implementation strategies and practice take into account the rights of persons with disabilities specifically all sectors of society have a role to play in the implementation of the Convention in the improvement of quality of life of disabled people.

The ratification of the UN Convention is a major milestone in the history of disability in Malawi and is a major boost towards the empowerment of persons with disabilities in the country.

Malawi’s ratification of the Convention is meant to "promote, protect and
ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity".

It is, therefore, very crucial that the policy and legal framework in Malawi is also in tune with the provisions of the UN Convention which are developmental and rights based in approach. This entails the enactment of the Bill on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities which is still is in limbo four years down the line.

The government needs to enforce the implementation plan of the National Policy on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities which was launched almost two years ago.

The ratification of the UN Convention also means that as nation, Malawi is obligated to live by the letter and spirit of the Convention. It is important that the Convention be domesticated by putting it in language that is easily understood by the general populace.

The political will that has been demonstrated by the ratification of the Convention should also be expressed through the wholesale implementation of the provisions of the Convention.

It is only when this is done that the provisions of the UN Convention can be brought to fruition and be meaningful in the lives of persons with disabilities in an inclusive Malawi!

Visit To Germany

2009-07-17T01:28:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a one week study visit to Germany at the invitation of the German Federal Government. I was one of the invited guests from six African countries namely: Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi.

When I got the invitation I had mixed feelings because German was one of the countries that I was not quite keen to visit because of stories that I had heard.
I had been told that the Germans were very rigid and not very friendly to blacks and persons with disabilities. I heard nasty stories of disabled people who had been roughed up by 'gangs' and this had created an uneasy feeling in me.

Still I made up my mind to go and see for myself. With support from the Germany Embassy all travel arrangement were finalized for me and my wife who was to accompany me on the trip.

When we arrived in Germany we visited Berlin, Bonn and Düsseldorf, I was amazed by the warmth and friendliness of the people of German as we traveled which was in sharp contrast to the stories that had been told to me.

We visited many historical places and also organisations and Government departments that promote the wellbeing of persons with disabilities. We noted that the Germany government puts massive investments in ensuring that persons with various disabilities lead productive lives of dignity and self-worth.

We were awed by how technology is playing a huge role in leveling the playing field in terms of promoting equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities in the German society.

I reflected on how the North-South partnership could effectively play a part in also building an enabling environment that would assist disabled people in developing world to fulfill their maximum potential. There is need to promote the transfer of technology, promotion of educational opportunities for persons with disabilities and mainstreaming of disability in development aid to Africa which would culminate in sustainable development.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a strong tool that can be used as an effective mechanism in this regard.

After the visit the African delegation produced a communiqué that called upon, among other things, the need to mainstream disability in German development aid to Africa in line with letter and spirit of the UN Convention on disability.

As we took the plane back home I realized that the prejudices I had nurtured about the German people were very far from being true!

Malawi Elections and Principles

2009-05-05T03:41:00.000-07:00

As the nation prepares for the General Elections on the 19 May 2009 a lot of interesting things are taking place which have unmasked the type of politicians that we have running for the office.

One thing that has struck me has been the inconsistencies that have been displayed by some of our politicians which have raised a lot of questions in terms of principles.

One is disturbed by the manner in which they have change goal posts so to say.One time they say something to the electorate and the following day they say something different.Positions of leadership require people that have principles and stand by their principles and this assists in building confidence in the electorate.

Most of our politicians take people for granted and tend to treat them like robots who cannot think, which is a miscalculation.Malawi is a country in which the majority live in poverty and politicians should desist from taking advantage of this to make false promises just to get elected into office and then fail to fulfill those promises.

The country needs principled politicians who are guided by by the desire to serve the masses that are still wallowing in dire poverty not just for self gratification.

It is my desire that the electorate will not be taken for ride this time around by making good choices!

Vote wisely!

Disability and Art

2009-03-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

At times in my quietest moments when I look back where I have come from I sometimes shudder to imagine what my life would have been if God had not given me the kind of mother that I had.

My mother was one of the special breed of mothers who was both a disciplinarian and very pragmatic, someone who looked at a challenge head-on. You see when I was struck by polio at an early age of four which left me immobile, she did not lose heart. She was courageous enough to approach the Head Master of the local Primary School for me to start school at a time when many mothers did not see the wisdom of sending a disabled child to school.

It was not surprising when the Head Master refused and argued that the school could not handle the needs of a disabled child and suggested instead that I be sent to a specialized school. This, my parents could not afford. The following year it was the same story but I was only accepted after the third attempt when a new Head Master was posted to the school.

At school, I faced some initial problems when I was adjusting to the new environment until I eventually fitted into the school system where eventually I was made one of the school prefects.

After completing my primary education I was selected to the secondary school where I went as far as the third form when my parents returned from Zimbabwe back home to Malawi. When I arrived home I was not able to get enrolled at any secondary school because of rigid regulations by the then government.

So I was forced to study through distance education which saw me pass my ‘O’ level examination with grades that were pre-requisites for University entry but I was refused due to my disability-that was the most painful moment and a turning point in my life.

This was the point in my life that I vowed to fight against such discrimination that so that this social injustice should not be meted to the new generation of disabled children.

After failure to proceed with education, my attempts to get a job proved futile and my life was in a quandary. It was at the point in time that I met a man who changed my outlook to life. Victor was severely disabled that he needed assistance to be fed, clothed and had to be propped up in his wheelchair.

What struck me about Victor was that inspite of severe disability; he oozed bundles of self confidence and produced wonderful paintings using his mouth which he sold to lots of art lovers both in and outside the country.

Victor was a role model who lived with his wife and a kid and employed some assistants. I had never imagined that a person with such severe disability could live and successfully manage both a family and a business.

I was instantly inspired and I worked under his tutelage for almost one year. Luckily, during my school days I used to do some drawings so I quickly adapted. He introduced me to an area whose scope in terms of imagination and creativity was limitless.

Art created great opportunities for me as someone with disability and assisted me in meeting many people from various backgrounds. After my stint with Victor I started my own art career which saw mount various exhibitions both inside and outside the country.

My art pieces were bought to grace many hotels including the State House at one point. One piece was bought by Mrs. Shriver, a sister to President Kennedy of the US at the exhibition in Taipei, Republic of China. Art is a very important medium in terms of creating a sense of self worth and self expression and can be a used as a strong tool for the empowerment of persons with disabilities.

I am fundraising and working on a project to build a craft village which will promote artistic expression for both persons with disabilities and those without. The village will also be used to assist to militate against stigmatization that is attached to disability by showcasing abilities rather than disabilities.

About Disability and Assistive Devices

2009-01-13T00:29:00.000-08:00

As a person with a disability, I fail not to be astounded and appreciative of the way technology can contribute to the empowerment of persons with disabilities by enabling them successfully cope in a society that is full of obstacles that impede their advancement.

I vividly recall how my life was transformed when my parents,after a long time of struggle, finally acquired a wheelchair for me having been carried on the back by my brothers to and from school during the early part of my primary education.It was such a huge relief for my brothers since I was growing and also becoming heavy.

For the first time I felt great and a huge sense of freedom since I was able to wheel myself around and today I cannot ever imagine my life without a wheelchair.It has enabled me to achieve many things.I remember telling my colleagues that one of the greatest things the wheelchair did for me was that it enabled me to travel to place where I was able to come into contact with a woman who has become my beloved wife!

The wheelchair can open windows of opportunities for any individual:one is able to go to school;to go to work;to go to church and to do so many countless things in order to lead a meaningful and productive live.

But the irony is that such useful thing is not accessible to many disabled persons in Africa due to the high costs which are out of reach to lot of people that lead lives of deprivation such that a wheelchair is nothing but a luxury yet it is such a powerful tool that can liberate may from shackles of ignorance and dire poverty.

Many African governments do not regard wheelchairs and other assistive devices (such as crutches and callipers) as priorities on the development agenda and therefore the non unavailability of these hugely contribute to the perpetuation of helplessness,ignorance and poverty that continue to haunt lives of many disabled people in Africa

The demise of the Malawi Against Physical Disability (MAP) is a classic case in point.MAP manufactures low cost wheelchairs and tricycles that are ideal for the local environment and are given to disabled people throughout the country.

The services of the organisation have now come to a halt because government is reluctant to fund the project and this has resulted in many disabled people facing serious mobility problems such as school drop outs and will even unable some to cast their votes in the forthcoming elections this year thus disfranchising them and pushing them further to the margins of the society.

Yet, there is so much hype about government running pro-poor development agenda. One is struck by the contradiction!It is only when assistive devices are made available that we can start talking about levelling the playing field and also about a pro-poor development agenda and it is high time government woke up to this reality!

International Day for Persons With Disabilities 2008

2008-12-11T02:50:00.000-08:00

Malawi joined the world in commemoration the International Day whose theme this year is-'Dignity and Justice For All'

The theme is a very important tenet of democracy and good governance because one cannot talk about upholding the principles of democracy and good governance where the the issues of dignity and justice do not apply to all.

The theme gives us the opportunity to analyse our justice system on whether it is available to all persons with disabilities in our society in the light of so many obstacles that continue to impinge on the lives of persons with disabilities.

The incident of a colleague who is deaf and was almost beaten to his death by a mob who mistook him for a thief because he was not able to explain why he was found at place where a theft had taken place.

Apparently,when out on field duty,he had decided to go to a nearby small shop to buy something and passed near a place where a theft had taken place.When confronted, a communication breakdown ensued since he could not understand what was going.

He was severely beaten and when the Police appeared on the scene,instead of taking him to the hospital they locked him in the cell where he spent the whole night in agony.

This incident is a classic illustration of our justice system.The man was mobbed because he could not explain his predicament due to his disability and the Police behaviour left a lot to be desired.

The justice system needs to be made more accessible to persons with disabilities:the Police need to be trained on how to handle persons with various disabilities like use of sign language;the courts buildings need to accessible and legal aid system should reach out to members of the society who are poor and more vulnerable the majority of who are not aware of their rights.

Once this is done,then we can talk about dignity and justice for all!

2008-11-14T02:39:00.000-08:00

Tribute to My Friend Hamid Sacranie

It was a great shock to learn about the demise of Hamid Sacranie whom I have known and respected for a quite long time. I came to know Hamid in the early eighties when I used to sell my batik paintings through his Central Book Shop.

Although disabled, Hamid exuded bundles of energy and and demonstrated that disability can cannot deter one from accomplishing one's goal in life.He demostrated a tremendous sense of business acumen and independent living.

He was a very active member of the Rotary Club and contributed a lot towards the empowerment of persons with disabilities.I remember he was able to assist another friend of mine to acquire a scooter from Holland in order to ease his mobility challenges.Hamid promised me two things which unfortunately was unable to fulfil because of his untimely death: to give me driving lessons using his automatic vehicle and also to assist me aquire a motorised wheelchair since old age seems to be having a toll on me amd sucking my energies.

These examples demonstrate Hamid's selfless attitude towards the welfare of others
The lifestyle of Hamid served as a clear testimony sthat heer will power can assist transcend barriers that trap many persons with disabilities in situations of helpnessness and self pity and also can assist in changing negative societal perceptions towards their capabilities.

This world needs many Hamid types that can be used as role models.

As for me I learnt a lot from him and will greatly miss my friend Hamid!

Persons With Disabilties and Natural Disasters

2008-10-09T03:21:00.000-07:00

Disability Friendly Electoral System

2008-09-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Mark and others, for the words of encouragement.

Indeed, it is very true that Malawians with disabilities face many challenges like, for instance, FEDOMA recently held discussions with the Malawi Electoral Commission regarding the participation of persons with disabilities in the forthcoming General Elections next year.

It has been noted that most of them are not able to vote because of the following reasons:Most polling booths and ballot boxes are not accessible for those on wheelchairs;ballot papers are not user-friendly to blind voters;the deaf encounter communication problems due to lack of sign language at polling stations.

This is compounded by the current Electoral Law that is not inclusive of the needs of voters with disabilities.

FEDOMA has been requested by the Electoral Commissiont to identify a country in the region which has an electoral system that is disability friendly so that Malawi can borrow a leaf.

We have contacted different countries through the Southern African Federation of the Disabled (SAFOD) to which FEDOMA is a member to get this information.

I would welcome any ideas and suggestions from you colleagues on this topic.

Cheers!

Mussa

Welcome To The Chiwaula disAbility Blog

2008-09-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

Let me welcome you to my blog which I believe will give me an opportunity to share with the world some of my experiences as a person who acquired disability at the age of four.

For me it has been a long journey in a world that is full of stereotypes and almost an exclusive club of the 'abled'.

I am grateful to my friend Dr Mark Mostert and others that worked behind the scenes for their timely support in developing this blog for me. I believe that the blog will initiate fruitful discussion that will help in giving more insight into the challeges that are faced by persons with disabilities especially coming from Africa.

Also being an artist I guess this will initiatiate discussion on art. I look forward to feedback from readers from all walks of life. Thanks for now and until then-cheers!

Mussa