Housing scheme for the disabled noble

To achieve this, one really has to be an orator or professional actor otherwise they would need to have been part of the situation. Better still they should be the ones facing the odds if a real picture of a situation is to be portrayed with all the emotions embodying it.
Although not an actor or an orator herself, Beauty Kasokera managed to achieve this with no actual effort invested. She was speaking of something she was experiencing.
“When I cry for my rights, no action is taken because I am disabled . . . Give us our chance, give us our space we demand space as people with disability and see what we can do,” she said. Beauty is one of the beneficiaries of housing stands under the Mushawedu Housing Co-operative at Eastville, Caledonia Farm in Harare. A total of 200 families of disabled persons are to benefit from the scheme.
These families witnessed the commissioning of a core house by the Special Disability Adviser in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Retired Brigadier General Felix Muchemwa.
Responding to Beauty’s call, Rtd Brig Gen Muchemwa said, “ . . . no longer shall you have to cry because the commissioning today of this core house means that you are now a landlord as you will be having your own house.”
The core houses will consist of a bedroom, kitchen, toilet and living room.
Mushawedu Housing Co-operative was formed in 2007 and is a brainchild of the National Council of Disabled Persons of Zimbabwe. The group came up with the initiative after realising that many people living with disabilities were shunned by landlords and ended had difficulty securing accommodation. This is because no-one accepts them in their houses because of their condition. The dream of owning a home will certainly come true for these persons living with disabilities. What is most captivating is that the majority of the beneficiaries are vegetable vendors who went out of their way to pay monthly subscriptions.
Mr Alexious Zindoga who is the chairperson of the Chitungwiza branch said little profits they obtained from selling their merchandise were dearly kept and paid as monthly subscriptions for the viability of the project that will see them accessing accommodation.
From the look of satisfaction on many faces that made up the gathering, one could easily tell their happiness. Their zeal which was spurred on by a burning passion to become landlords had paid off.
“There are several housing co-operatives dotted across the country and Mushawedu stands above the rest as it is the only one of its kind providing housing stands specifically for the physically challenged,” said Mr Zindoga
Rtd Brig Gen Muchemwa said the beauty of the initiative was that the success of the scheme was coming at a time when the Government was working flat out to address the housing shortages facing persons living with disabilities.
“These people are always abused emotionally and physically by landlords, so we have decided to provide them with housing stands on which they can build their own houses,” said Rtd Brigadier Gen Muchemwa.
Another beneficiary Showorai Muganda said she was happy that the project that started off as a comic story had brought smiles.
“Hard work and determination made them us realise positive results. The main aim of the co-operative is to give shelter to people living with disabilities and ensure they have decent accommodation.
“The housing scheme serves as way of demystifying the notion that the people living with disability can’t do anything meaningful.
“People used to look down upon us but we are now able to fight back all the abuses that we used to receive from our able bodied landlords,” said Muganda who suffers speech impairment.
Another beneficiary Mr Matambudziko Utete urged Government to keep on supporting people living with disabilities in terms of accommodation and grants so that they stop begging on streets.
Mai Munya narrated what had befallen her as a result of her condition.
“Our neighbours used to hate us. They would not let our children play with theirs. They once threw a dead dog in my well. There was nothing we could do other than keep quite,” she lamented.
Her face suddenly brightens as she encouraged persons with disabilities to form co-operatives.
“We are now convinced that the Government really cares for us. We can now see that they are now giving support to us, the people who are faced with disability,” she added.
The co-operative with help from Government managed to raise US$450 000.
The money will be used to build more houses for the members. Services are beginning to put in place with a clinic already built in the area. The new clinic will cater for residents of Eastville, who were walking long distances in search of medical attention.
Retired Brigadier General Muchemwa, however, said a lot still need to be done in improving the road network, sewer and water reticulation systems and that required a lot of money.