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Harare
Branch Report 2003
Zimbabwe
Parents of Children with Disabilities Association (ZPCDA)
Theresa Makwara
June 09, 2003
Brief History
Zimbabwe Parents of Handicapped Children Association was started
in Harare in 1997.The parents of children with disabilities used
to attend therapy sessions at Harare General Hospital. Children
Rehabilitation Unit CRU where they got advice from staff to unite
and orgarnise themselves into support group. The association was
formed to try to unite parents and be stronger voice to lobby for
better services. The group of parents registered the association
as a welfare organization in 1990.
Membership
In
Harare there are 250 fully joined members.
Our membership
fee is $100.00 and $20 subscription fee per month.
We hold
our general meetings on the first Sunday of each month.
We meet
to plan and evaluate our activities.
Vision
Our vision is to see equal opportunities and better lives for children
and parents of children with disabilities.
ZPCDA Objectives
- To provide
a forum of exchange, information experience and advice in the
area of various disabilities to parents and interested persons.
- To monitor
and evaluate legislation programs and services affecting the welfare
of disabled children of Zimbabwe and assist the families to meet
there special needs.
- To promote
and encourage education training rehabilitation and general welfare
of the disabled children of Zimbabwe and assist the families to
meet special needs.
- To monitor
and maintain the cooperation with the Government, N.G.O.s and
institutions interested in the education, training and rehabilitation
of the disabled children of Zimbabwe.
- To provide,
publish and distribute and local and international information
in the form of advisory pamphlets and other literature for the
use of the parents and interested persons.
- To carry
out fund raising activities as allowed under the laws of Zimbabwe
inn order to enable the Association to fulfil its objects.
- Liaison with
professional bodies and acting as a pressure group with the hope
to bring about positive in the policies.
Branch Activities
We
meet to and run workshops on various issues
- Planning
the strategies of how we can approach our local authorities for
inclusion.
- Forming task
forces for lobbying local authorities i.e. City of Harare on Housing
Policy and also the department of community services to offer
parents free premises to meet in areas.
- School Psychological
Services –to open special units at ordinary schools including
those with multiple disabilities
- Running monthly
central workshops on women’s and children issues.
- Managing
Harare branch office, opened since Oct 1998.
- The Group
Support Team G.S.T is a coordinating team, which visits and communication
between groups.
- Sourcing
monies and ordering of special equipment for disabled children.
- We meet to
evaluate our activities.
Groups
We
have 14 groups where the mothers meet in their areas. Among the
14 groups, 6 have got a
day care centre.
Projects
Training and income generating projects e.g. gardening embroidery,
sewing, tie & dye .
Workshops
on a variety of topics.
Sun drying
of vegetables.
Mushroom
growing which is on first flash.
Challenges
Mobilization
is an ongoing process because every day someone somewhere has given
birth to a child with disabilities.
Explaining
to new parents about the organization, sometimes people feel maybe
they are going to get something e.g. clothes blankets food or even
school fees.
Rising
cost of living in Zimbabwe everyday i.e. travelling costs etc.
Visit
the ZPCDA fact
sheet
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