Entrepreneur and social advocate Sonja Louise Madzikanda continues to amplify her voice in autism awareness, urging mothers of children with special needs to embrace the journey with resilience, dedication and grace.
Speaking at an event hosted by Mothers of Special Heroes (MOSH) in Harare last Friday, Madzikanda acknowledged the emotional and practical challenges faced by families raising children with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
“It is hard to raise a child that needs more attention but if you do it with dedication and sacrifice you will have a trophy. We have to understand these kids and fit into their world and that way it will become easier to manage their conditions and understand their needs.
From my personal experience, it took me two whole years dedicated to making my son get better. I had to leave work to focus on my son’s welfare and I am glad that the dedication has borne fruits. My wish is that we all do the same and be more practical in our approach to this challenge,” she said.
Drawing from her own experience as an “autism mom,” Madzikanda challenged parents to remain committed even in the face of adversity, stressing that progress often requires consistent effort beyond financial means.
“In my case some would argue that you have the resources but the truth is that money didn’t help my son’s condition get better. It took a lot of work including dietary changes like cutting the milk and meat and I thank God all that effort paid.
I am therefore encouraging women to be part of engagements like the one we are having today so that we share experiences on how to manage our children’s conditions. It is important that we give our kids the grace and try our best to achieve the best results possible. Let us not be dismissive and give up on conditions,” she said.
She also emphasised the importance of fundamentals such as placing children in suitable learning environments and pushing for broader policy support.
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“Remember it’s not just about the autism, let’s give the kids grace. We must take care of basics like making sure our kids are in the correct school. The school must be the correct fit for our child’s needs so that we are able to manage them better.
Equally important is the need for more schools that are aware of these growing conditions and it is my plea that we deliberately invest in policies that speaks to these issues as a country. Let’s not throw away destinies through negligence,” Madzikanda said.
The mother of two, who has also shared her journey publicly, including an appearance on The eNExperience in June 2025, paid tribute to therapists and organisations supporting children with developmental needs.
“It’s difficult not to be able to understand and communicate with your child and for that reason I salute therapists and all the players for the work they are doing. We need a lot of education and advocacy around these issues so that everyone has a better understanding.
We also salute the work of organisations like MOSH for their advocacy and public education work as well as organizing events like this where we get to share our experiences and exchange ideas. Meeting different people gives you understanding,” she said.
Madzikanda, who has participated in initiatives aimed at redefining autism, also highlighted the importance of early intervention.
“I have participated in discussions aimed at redefining autism and have also been involved with autism support initiatives, including past associations with organisations like the Pathways Autism Trust.
I also advocate for early intervention, highlighting the importance of detection and therapies such as Applied Behaviour Analysis, occupational, and speech therapy for children,” she said.
MOSH founder and director Chantelle Shangare commended Madzikanda’s commitment to the cause.
“We commend Sonja for her selflessness and dedication to this noble cause and we pray that God gives her the energy to continue on this path.
It takes a lot of heart to give oneself fully to this cause and we appreciate her for taking time to speak to the women. She spoke from the heart and you could feel the passion. The women are encouraged,” she said.
Women’s empowerment advocate and Empowered Women founder Sibonokuhle Buhlungu, who moderated the event, emphasised the need for sustained support systems.
“Mothers by nature love and are dedicated to their children,” she said.
“They give their all for the welfare of their children and I hope that after such a powerful engagement we continue rallying our efforts towards nationwide education and awareness campaigns targeting mothers of these special heroes.
“All hope is surely not lost and together we will make a big difference.”
