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Disability organisation wins NGO Expo trophy
National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped (NASCOH)
October 08, 2007

The adage that disability is not inability was once again proved true when Tose Respite Care Home, which provides rehabilitation and relief services to people with multiple disabilities in order to assist them to live normal and dignified lives, scooped first prize for the best stand at the recently held NGO Expo at the Harare Gardens.

TOSE brushed off stiff competition from a multitude of NGOs to clinch the pole position at the premier NGO Expo, which ran under the theme: "vibrant, proactive and creatiave NGOs responsive to the social, economic and political development needs of men, women, and children in Zimbabwe". The expo ran on the sidelines of the National NGO Conference 2007, and sought to raise solidarity and public support for the numerous struggles and causes being faced by the sector.

TOSE captured the attention of the Expo judges with its thoroughness and meticulous attention to detail. In addition to giving a comprehensive portrayal of the organisation's background, aims, objectives, services offered, and projects being undertaken, the stand also featured a detailed organisational structure of the centre, complete with pictures of the staff. Tose also distinguished itself from the other organisations by outlining how it was responding to the conference and expo theme and how its various activities enabled it to remain responsive to the social, economic and political development needs of men, women and children in the country.

TOSE also featured an number of activities and exhibited a number of devices that were critical to its rehabilitation and relief care activities. These included a child's wheelchair which amplified the fact that 99% of the children that the centre caters for are in wheelchairs; a bean bag enabling children with spinal problems to recline comfortably; a corner seat which enables children who cannot seat on their own to seat, eat and engage in recreational activities; a standing board, which provides invaluable support for children who have problems in standing up; walking frames to assist children with mobility problems to walk and also crutches. The stand also featured produce from a number of self help projects including vegetables from a gardening project, clothing from a sewing project and chicken from a poultry project.

The Director of the Centre, Mrs Stella Faranisi, said that self-help projects are an integral part of the centre's activities."We try to be self-sustaining and we therefore engage in a number of self-help projects. We are also health fanatics and grow our own vegetables for our consumption and then sell the excess," she said.

The vision of TOSE, whose acronym stands for Together we work to Overcome disabilities, Share success and sorrow and Encourage each other, is to be the national centre for the provision of professional relief services for the multiple and severely disabled people through residential care or community based care. The organisation., which was registered as a national welfare organisation in November 1992, was born in the background of research which indicated that there were tremendous gaps in the care and rehabilitation of the severely, mentally and physically impaired people in Zimbabwe and there was need for an initiative to address these issues.

TOSE, which is not a permanent residential home and has a capacity of 50 clients, seeks to achieve its vision through provising residential respite care to people with severe learning disabilities and multiple disabilities; providing assesments of people with disabilities who come to the centre; offering consultancy and referral services; providing rehabilitation through availing of basic living skill, including walking, communicating, feeding , sitting up and socialising. The centre caters for people from the age of five upwards. It cares for people of all races and from all walks of life.

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