It is common for some Zimbabweans to believe that a child born with a disability is a bad omen or a punishment from God. A predominantly Christian country, Zimbabwe has plenty of superstitions surrounding physical and mental disabilities. Mental health conditions like schizophrenia may be deemed as demon possession. Culturally, women are usually discriminated against for giving birth to kids with disabilities. Some people go as far as to say that the mother or her family was practicing witchcraft before she gave birth.
Enduring Inaccessibility
In 2021, I met four sisters who each had children with cerebral palsy. They lived in Epworth, a high-density township a few kilometers from the capital city Harare’s central business district. Because of the proximity of the small, one-roomed homes, there is little wheelchair accessibility. You can also find anything from sharp stones and nails to pieces of glass embedded in the uneven ground, thus making the township unsafe for someone with cerebral palsy to navigate.
Each child’s condition became more severe and debilitating as they grew older (the oldest child was 17 at the time) because they had no access to cerebral palsy treatments such as rehabilitative therapy, orthotic devices, or medicine to manage muscle spasms during infancy. The children require constant care, limiting their mothers’ earning potential and hindering their own educational and career prospects.
Before the pandemic, Epworth households struggled to make ends meet, earning an average of 185 USD per month while needing at least 500 USD for basic necessities. When we met, they mentioned that sometimes they only had 50 USD a month for food and care. The sisters received no support from their absent husbands, who blamed them for their children’s disabilities.
Exclusionary Beliefs Further Harm Vulnerable Children
Because of these stigmas, people with disabilities are treated as sub-humans in communities like Epworth. The sisters are ostracized by their neighbors due to misunderstanding and ignorance of cerebral palsy. The neighbors’ children aren’t allowed to play with the sisters’ kids because the neighbors are afraid their own kids might be affected. Due to such ignorance, kids with disabilities are susceptible to physical harm, vicious verbal attacks, and acts of discrimination.
Although there is still plenty of work to be done, Zimbabwe, alongside other African Union member nations, has been working to protect the rights of and change the perception regarding people with disabilities through the development of the African Disability Protocol. In 2023, Unicef launched a disability-inclusive parenting program in rural and urban areas to destigmatize disabilities and educate caregivers.
Embracing Ubuntu: A Brighter Future For All
“Ubuntu” or “Hunhu,” as it’s called in Shona, is the African philosophy of humanness. It’s more than just treating everyone with kindness. It is also about recognizing and acknowledging another person’s humanity. The eldest sister, exemplifying this spirit, said she doesn’t see her children as burdens, or as though they are different from anyone else’s children. She loves to hear them laugh. She hurts when they cry. Most of all, she is happy to be healthy and resilient enough to take care of them in the face of adversity and support her sisters who are going through a similar situation.
To foster a more inclusive society, those who believe in Ubuntu must practice its principles towards people with disabilities. This will help ensure a more equitable life for all.
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