Chronicle Editor
Uzile Mkwananzi, Sunday News Reporter
AN international non-governmental organisation — Sightsavers is working towards preventing avoidable blindness, and the emancipation of people with disabilities as well as fostering a friendly and inclusive world that does not discriminate against people with disabilities.
The project officer responsible for economic empowerment at Sightsavers, Mr Nicholas Nicodimus said the organisation was working on creating an inclusive environment for people with disabilities.
“We’re an international organisation that works in more than 30 countries, to prevent avoidable blindness and fight for the rights of people with disabilities.
“Our vision is of a world where no one is blind from avoidable causes and where people with disabilities can participate equally in society,” he said.
Mr Nicodimus said the organisation works with partners including governments and other stakeholders, to ensure a culture of non-discrimination is nurtured and allowed to sprout,as well as coming up with projects that can be integrated into government health, education, and other inclusion systems.
“One of the projects we are running with is the ‘Equal Zimbabwe,’ a coalition campaign for national disability rights.
“We’re fighting to ensure people with disabilities are included in all facets of societal development.
“We want to remove barriers, so that they can enjoy their full rights and the secretariat at Sightsavers is responsible for co-ordinating the campaign activities and engaging all coalition partners,” he said.
“Our campaign is aimed at influencing policymakers and duty-bearers to enact new legislation on disability, to replace the current Disabled Persons Act (DPA) of 1992. The DPA is outdated, it uses a model of disability that is no longer fit for purpose and does not comply with the UNCRPD definition.”
Mr Nicodimus added that they were working on the Inclusive Eye Health Project, which they implemented in 2023 in Matabeleland North Province.
The main objective of the project is to contribute towards the elimination of avoidable blindness through the provision of affordable, equitable and accessible eye health services for all in Matabeleland North.
The project has so far assisted more than 25 000 people in accessing basic eye health.
The organisation also has a trachoma elimination programme. Trachoma is a neglected tropical disease, sometimes known as the disease of poverty.
Sightsavers and partner organisations are therefore working with communities across Africa to eliminate or control all painful, but treatable conditions.
In 2022 alone, the organisation supported 884 935 treatments in Zimbabwe against trachoma.
“In Zimbabwe, we are specifically calling for multi-sector collaboration between the business, water, sanitation and hygiene communities as well as other Government ministries beyond the Health Ministry, to ensure the sustained elimination of trachoma and other neglected tropical diseases,” said Mr Nicodimus.
He said there are more than 1,4 million people with disabilities in Zimbabwe, who may have limited access to basic human rights due to a combination of factors that the Government was looking into.
Bongani Ndlovu