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The Plight of a Disabled Orphan
Zimbabwe Parents of Children with Disabilities Association (ZPCDA)
Theresa Makwara
December 04, 2002

Very little has been written on the plight of disabled orphans and very little has been done to help these children. The life of a disabled orphan can be burdening on the guardian to the extent that you end up stressed. Most relatives who have been left to look after a disabled child after the death of both parents will either neglect or take that child to the rural areas were there are no schools nearby or the schools do not cater for disabled children. The child will suffer even further by not going to school.

On the other hand these children need special equipment and facilities to access buildings and toilets. In most cases when relatives discover the amount of effort required in looking after a disabled child, the expensive drugs & medical check ups they abandon or neglect the child and often these children die silently through negligence and abuse.

In urban areas there are some organisations that claim to cater for orphans but if you ask them to take in disabled orphans they will tell you that they don’t have enough resources or facilities to cater for disabled children or that their staff are not trained to look after disabled children.

It is sad to note that everywhere you go there are certain rules that do not have the disabled orphan in mind. For instance we have a case of disabled child who was sent to an institution for the disabled but the institution closes in December for the holidays. This child has nowhere else to go and will remain at the centre alone for the rest of the holidays. Not many people are willing to take a disabled child into their home even for a holiday only due to the escalating cost of living, time & effort required to look after a disabled child.

What is sad is that even institutions for disabled children are closing permanently or periodically due to the current economic crisis and food shortages. They don’t have enough resources to cover some of their costs hence they are closing for holidays. As a parent, I wouldn’t mind having this child at my home for the holidays but I am renting a small place and my landlord might not be pleased as I also have a severely disabled child who needs constant supervision & care and I am also poor.

What it then means is that this disabled orphan will remain at that institution alone until schools open in January unless someone offers to take him. If wishes were horses beggars would ride. Society’s picture of a disabled child leaves a lot not to be desired.

Single Parents of Disabled Children
The experiences of parenting present many challenges, but its even more challenging when you are a single parent and sole breadwinner. Our mothers do not have any other source of income other than from their embroidery. The income they earn monthly is not sufficient to look after her family; she needs at least $100,000 per month.

In most cases husbands blame their wives for giving birth to a disabled child claiming that there is no history of disabilities on his side of the family, so this was something the woman brought upon the family. Or the wife is accused of being a "muroyi" (witch). Some women are deserted financially & emotionally by their husbands and have to look after five or more children by themselves.

Society’s view on single parents of disabled children

• People look down on single mothers and they think they are to blame for their children’s disabilities, accusing them of prostituting and witch craft.
• Other parents don’t want their "normal" children to play with disabled children because they think the disability is contagious. The parents also don’t want to associate with parents of disabled children.
• Single mothers are isolated by their relatives and society for being single and having disabled children.
• Single mothers of disabled children are seen as inferior and are laughed at in society.

Budget for a Single Mother of a disabled child

• Rent $2,000.00 x 2 rooms
• Electricity $1,500.00
• Water $500.00
• Food $30,000.00
• School fees $35,000.00
• Medical Expenses $30,000.00
• Emergency $15,000.00
• Other Needs $10,000.00
• Total $126,000.00

Visit the ZPCDA fact sheet

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