adminTanaka Mahanya in CHINHOYI
THE Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, has embarked on a training programme for 12 people living with disabilities and 18 with albinism.
It is aimed at empowering them in the ICT sector.
The initiative is intended to equip them with essential computer skills needed to use community information centres (CICs) launched by the Government throughout the country.
The training programme, facilitated and supported by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) and Internet Society of Zimbabwe, will run for five days.
It will be extended to the other seven rural provinces, as well as Harare and Bulawayo Metropolitan provinces once the current training is complete.
The programme is a ground-breaking initiative to support the practical development and inclusion of people with disabilities towards a human rights model.
Prior to the training, people with disabilities had been left behind as they did not have the basic skills to use computers in CICs.
Speaking at the training session in Chinhoyi, Ministry of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare director of disability, Christine Peta, said this would ensure that people with disabilities are empowered to fend for themselves.
“This is the first group to be trained, and we will roll out the exercise to the other seven rural provinces, and later, Harare and Bulawayo.
“We want to move away from the charity model of disability to the human rights model, which ensures that their rights are considered,” she said.
She said people with disabilities should receive the individual support which they require.
“These people are not a homogeneous group, hence the need to support them in their different areas of need,” she said.
In a speech read on his behalf, POTRAZ director general, Gift Machengete, said:
“The basic ICT skills training course is aimed at introducing students to ICT who have no prior knowledge in this field.
“It explores the basic hardware components, how they work with software components and their skills.
“Certificates will be issued to the participants upon successful completion of the course.”
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter