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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
DISABILITY is not inability.

That was the song from the beginning up to the end of the 9th National Disability Expo that ended in Gweru on Wednesday and was officially opened by President Mnangagwa.

Addressing guests and exhibitors to the three-day Expo President Mnangagwa said Government was committed to removing barriers that hinder the development of People with Disabilities (PWDs) in society which include failing to access the means of production.

President Mnangagwa also took the opportunity to distribute computers and food hampers to different centres and institutions such as Queen of Peace Rehabilitation Centre, Jairos Jiri Association and Bulawayo Polytechnic College.

At Queen of Peace Rehabilitation Centre children are making mats, fruit baskets, bins and hand bags mostly from waste they pick up from the streets.

The 53 inmates with mental illnesses pick up litter which they then turn into usable things such as fruit baskets and door mats.

“We use dried grass which we cut from our nearby environment and plastics we pick from the road to make fruit baskets, door mats and handbags. This is part of therapy because they say an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. We are kept busy while being productive and cleaning the environment,” said Rumbidzai Chitumbura (15).

She said mental health is a condition that can be triggered by substance abuse hence the need for youths to desist from taking drugs such as dagga.

Jairos Jiri Association programmes coordinator Mrs Chipo Zano said the association had during the past 60 years evolved into a unique humanitarian and development agency transforming lives of people living with disabilities in Zimbabwe.

“Our people are into a lot of things such as painting, weaving, sewing uniforms for our primary school and the community, making sandals and working in our gardens. We feel we have to make a difference in society by transforming the lives of people with disabilities,” she said.

Ms Zano urged members of the community not to hide their relatives or children with disabilities because doing so is infringing on their rights.

Bulawayo based Zimbabwe Women with Disabilities in Development leader Mrs Ruth Khumalo said they are there to make a change for disabled women in society.

She said they make detergents, uniforms and are also into training other community members so that they can uplift their lives.

“We are here to assist the community, especially disabled women so that they are not left out in terms of development. We make detergents and our product was approved at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) and we are working on pushing it onto the market. We also make uniforms which we sell to members of the community and we urge disabled people to engage us so that we assist each other. As the President said no one must be left behind,” she said.