NCDPZ acting director dies

She was 48.
Ms Chishawa is survived by two children, a boy and a girl. She was buried at her rural home in Mukoyi Village, under Chief  Mutasa in Penhalonga, Manicaland Province, on Friday.
The NCDPZ announced the death of Ms Chishawa in a statement last Thursday,  saying she succumbed to diabetes on the previous day.

“It is with a great sense of shock and loss  that the NCDPZ announces the untimely death of Agnes Chishawa who passed away at Mpilo Central Hospital in the morning of 28 March 2012 after succumbing to diabetes,” said NCDPZ president, Mr Obadiah Moyo.
He said Ms Chishawa had been admitted to Mpilo for a week.
At the time of her death she was the manager for livelihoods programmes and acting executive director.

Ms Chishawa joined NCDPZ in October 2002 as a development and liaison officer in the women’s development programme based at the Harare office.
She served in that role with distinction in                 lobby and advocacy for the empowerment of women with disabilities before being transferred to the national office in Bulawayo to run the gender desk in September 2005.

Mr Moyo said before joining the NCDPZ,  Ms Chishawa worked for Leonard Cheshire International, an international disability organisation, as regional self-reliance co-coordinator for the Sadc region between 1998 and 2002.
She was responsible for helping people living with disabilities start and run income-generating projects.
Mr Moyo said Ms Chishawa also served in the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture as a teacher at Glen View High 1 in Harare between 1992 and 1997.

Born on 13 December 1964 at Old Mutare Mission Hospital, she did her primary education at St Faith’s Primary School before proceeding for her secondary education at St Faith High School in Rusape.
She did her high school education at Mutare Girls’ High between 1986 and 1987 before enrolling at the University of Zimbabwe where              she graduated with a

BSc Honours Degree in Politics and Administration in 1991.
She also acquired other various courses in counselling and project management, among others, Mr Moyo said.
He said his organisation had lost a dedicated leader who fought for the  improvement of the livelihood of people living with disabilities.

“Chishawa symbolised a rare breed of resilient disabled women who prevailed against all odds over the numerous impediments that people with disabilities and disabled women in particular face owing largely to societal marginalisation,” he said.

“She did not allow negative stereotypical perceptions and attitudes to curtail her  personal development and as such scaled  down numerous barriers. To that end she                  became an inspiration to many people with disabilities.”
Mr Moyo described Ms Chishawa as a passionate leader who was concerned about disabled people’s rights.