By Abel Mavura
They say when life throws you lemons gather them and make lemonade. This is true in retrospect to a youthful disability rights defender, Tsepang Nare.
At a time when the world was on standstill, trying to come to terms with the destructive virus that had turned everything on a rampage, Nare was hands on trying to source wheelchairs for fellow persons with disabilities in Bulawayo.
Nare said, “After experiencing psychological and financial effects of being subjected to lockdown as a necessary measure imposed by the government, I wondered how some of my colleagues who had no means of moving around due to lack of assistive devices managed to survive”. For him, not being able to move around was as good as being under lockdown and because he had felt how it was, he took a decision to source wheelchairs.
The campaign which kick-started on the 1st of March, 2020, was also launched on Radio Zimbabwe that broadcasts in two widely spoken indigenous Zimbabwean languages, Ndebele and Shona and Skyz Metro.
Since he had done his quotations prior, he knew he needed about R76 000 for 26 of them as Utility Sheer mobility in South Africa sold them at a cheaper price. A go fund me was opened however, by then Covid was full blown, that didnt yield results until he joined efforts with Harare Dawn, one of the Rotary Clubs. As a result of that joint venture, 20th of April 2021, marked the official Launch of Debonairs Wheels Distribution.
When asked what motivated him to use the word Debonairs he said, “a wheelchair gave him his rightful dignity that he deserved. As such Debonairs wheels simply meant Confidence wheels. With wheels you have confidence and a sense of elegance”.
Assistive devices are the bridge between Human rights and development. In order to access health care, education or even be able to go and report atrocities, and or any form of injustice taking place, one has to have an assistive device for mobility purposes.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Nare shared his broad based vision which was to see a transformed disability cluster where persons with disabilities are at the centre of initiating and leading development. Moreso, he strongly buttressed that the society had a role to play in ensuring that they are at the fore front as the beginning matters the most.
Provision of wheelchairs to children especially school going, was a bold move in securing the future and this initiative mostly targetted learners with a bias on girls.
7 beneficiaries out of a total of 27 received wheelchairs courtesy of Rotary club and a 10kg bag of mealie meal as a result of a partnership with
Zimbabwe Network for Disability and HIV and AIDS Organisation
(ZIMNEDAO). Other distributions are slated for May and July.
Nare further commented on the pandemic, encouraging people to observe covid 19 regulations.
“The virus is not done with us.” The good news, is that existing vaccines seem to be effective against the variants but the pandemic is evolving hence the need to be very careful.”
Amongst the participants was Bulawayo’s Finest Artist Noma Mkhwananzi (Nkwali), journalists from various media houses as well as the Deputy director for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province in the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation as the guest of honour.
NOTE: This article was filed with the financial support of the European Union (EU) and UNESCO.
Its contents are solely the responsibility of Abel Mavura and do not reflect the views of the EU and UNESCO.
