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A thought for children with disabilities

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HAVING a disabled child was associated with punishment from God, a curse or failure, and parents with disabled children often experienced isolation from members of their community.

HAVING a disabled child was associated with punishment from God, a curse or failure, and parents with disabled children often experienced isolation from members of their community.

Report by Vimbai Marufu

The impact of these negative attitudes towards disability often resulted in disabled children being hidden from view and kept inside the house where no one would notice them.

However, a noble woman Nolia Takesure Chitewere (49) of Sunningdale, Harare, has taken it upon herself to make sure that some of these marginalised disabled children enjoy their rights just like any other child, by taking them into her home and giving them love like any mother would do.

Chitewere, who is a senior typist by profession and from a Christian background as well as being a war veteran, said it pained her during the war to see people getting killed and some getting injured and disfigured.

Thus she decided that every year in August she would help widows and orphans.

“After growing up in a Christian background, I thought of orphans and widows who are suffering because their parents or husbands died and it pained me,” said Chitewere.

She has visited places around the country including Mberengwa, Marondera, Karoi, Chinhoyi and Kariba.

In 2011, Chitewere decided to take these children under her care and into her home.

She enrolled all the five children into different schools, three to Tose Respite Care Home, two at L’arche Zimbabwe and Ruvimbo Zimcare Trust.

Chitewere is a mother of six children.

After taking the children in, things were not rosy for her and she struggled to make ends meet so that she could take care of her big family.

“When I took these children in, it was not easy at all. There was not enough food and the children needed more attention because some of them cannot walk and talk. We could not afford a maid.

“We could barely manage and sometimes I used to cry at work not knowing what to do, but somehow we survived,” Chitewere said. She added that she got help from her workmates, her neighbour Monica Mashava and other well-wishers, as well as her children, whom she said have been of big help and had welcomed the disabled kids as their own siblings.

“My children have been of great help — from my daughter to my sons — and they love spending time with these kids. My neighbour Mbuya Mashava always pops in with some sugar or socks for the children,” said Nolia.

Although Chitewere received assistance from well-wishers, she struggled to put the children through school from 2011–2012. She added that 2013 will be not different from the previous years since she is still facing financial constraints and has not been able to pay fees for the children, and has arrears to clear from last term.

She is also taking care of many other disabled people, visiting them at their homes because she cannot accommodate all of them.

“I’m also taking care of other disabled people, orphans and widows and right now there are more than five people in Maranda area who are in need of wheelchairs.”