Today
is International Day for People with Disabilities and I spent the better part
of it at Ekwetsembeni Special School in Mbabane. An organisation called Farai
Foundation (I hope to write about them soon), with the help of other sponsors,
threw a Christmas party for the children at the school. I had planned to go to
the function about a week ago, then something upset me and I decided I would
spend the day moping. Then early this morning the managing editor of the paper I
contribute to called and asked me to come to the function. I wasn’t particularly
dismayed about going because I had initially planned to go. I am glad I attended.
Being
a mom to an autistic child, there are times when I feel autism is the absolute worst
thing that ever happened to this planet. Attending the Ekwetsembeni Christmas
party made me think; hmm autism is probably not the worst of conditions (I still
wish I could wish it away regardless). I saw children with all manner of
physical disabilities, some that I had never seen before. I don’t know if this
is a sin, but I found myself with a lump in my throat and hot tears in my eyes asking,
“Where was God when all this was happening?” Most of the children were evidently
from disadvantaged backgrounds and it was quite sad to think about what their
future looked like in country where people with disabilities are not fully
supported. It strengthened my resolve to keep raising awareness on disabilities
and the pushing for the need to support people with them so that they reach
their optimal.
People
with disabilities should only fail to get somewhere because of natural
limitations that cannot be surpassed, never because society failed them by not
creating an enabling environment. What I yearn for all people with disabilities
is access to education and health care. The world is too rich for people with
disabilities to go through life without those two essential needs. It only
takes a bit of commitment from government, the corporate world and society in
general to ensure that people with disabilities are able to lead a dignified life.
Farai Foundation joined forces with many organisations and the day was a
resounding success. It can be done – on an even bigger scale than one day
events (not to belittle what Farai Foundation did, but to encourage people that
we can go bigger and better). Imagine how the country, or the continent of
Africa would be if everyone who could would financially adopt a child with a
disability by offering to put him/her through school and providing all the
necessities? People resent it when people with disabilities sit by roadsides
asking for alms, but how do they not take to the streets if they are not
educated?
Congratulations
Farai Foundation for hosting a successful event. It was very heartwarming to
see how happy the children were. However, I wish the playlist had been more carefully selected. Playing Nasty C's Juice Back and Hell Naw at a children's party was a quite in bad taste.What have you done lately to assist someone with a disability?
