Online Reporter
Fungai Lupande-Mashonaland Central Bureau
TARIRO MUCHENJE, a young woman living with a disability from Concession, is defying odds and redefining what is possible for persons with limitations in Mazowe District.
Responding to the call by the First Lady, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, to participate in the traditional foods cook-out competition, Tariro boldly stepped forward to compete.
She emerged victorious at the preliminary local competitions held at Nzvimbo Growth Point, earning a place at the provincial finals in Bindura.
Although she did not clinch the top prize at provincial level, she was among the fiercest contenders, winning admiration for her determination and culinary skills.
Beyond the cook-out competition, Tariro is pursuing several income-generating projects.
She has undergone training in detergent making and is also involved in cross-border trading.
“I am now into poultry production. I have benefited from life skills programmes. We don’t have to look down upon ourselves; we are the same,” she said.
Tariro expressed gratitude for the opportunities being availed under the Second Republic and through programmes spearheaded by the First Lady.
“Sometimes the programmes do not have immediate financial benefits, but they open your mindset to new opportunities,” she said.
She added that disability should never be a limitation to success.
“What I cannot do physically, I can employ someone to do for me. People will say negative things, but you have to prove them wrong,” she said.
Tariro urged other persons with disabilities not to look down upon themselves or resort to begging, but to take advantage of empowerment initiatives being rolled out across the country.
At the community level, village heads, councillors and officials from the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development are intensifying awareness campaigns to ensure persons with disabilities access available programmes.
Mazowe District Empowerment Officer, Patricia Machiwenyika, said her office maintains a database of all persons with disabilities in the district to ensure inclusivity.
“We involve persons with disabilities in all programmes because we are moving with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s mantra of leaving no one behind towards Vision 2030,” she said.
“Persons with disabilities are part and parcel of us. We make sure they get all the information they need. We have 101 females and 49 males living with disabilities across our four constituencies.”
Ms Machiwenyika said the lack of information remains one of the major challenges affecting persons with disabilities.
To address the gap, a social media group has been created to ensure they do not miss critical updates on empowerment opportunities.
“We also work closely with development partners to create referral pathways for persons with disabilities,” she said.
For Tariro, the journey is far from over. With her hands in poultry production, trading and manufacturing, she is proving that disability is not inability, but a platform to rise above limitations.
