Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
15-YEAR-OLD Portia Vande who is a Grade Five pupil at Margaretha Hugo Primary School for the Blind in Masvingo last week used the National Disability Expo platform in Gwanda to display her splendid skills in craft work.
Portia has grasped skills for bead work. She is able to produce handbags and table mats from bamboo. She also makes key holders and bracelets made from crystal and plastic beads.
Portia unfortunately cannot see the products that she manufactures with her eyes but she uses her hands to feel the beauty.
The 11th Edition of the National Disability Expo started on Wednesday in Gwanda, Matabeleland South Province and ended last Friday.
More than 100 participants attended. They included organisations of people with disabilities (PWDs), affiliates and associates of organisations of PWDs, Government ministries and other stakeholders.
The expo’s key focus was to enable those living with disabilities to be aware of existing technologies, equipment, aids, services and products that can allow them to live a fuller life.
This year’s edition of the National Disability Expo ran under the theme “Holistic Empowerment of Youth and Children with Disabilities towards the attainment of Vision 2030. A better and brighter future for everyone.”
Portia who stays with her parents in Mwenezi attended a regular school from Grade One to Seven but learning was a great challenge for her. She enrolled at Margareta Hugo Primary School last year where she repeated her Grade Four. Portia said that marked the start of a fulfilling learning experience for her.
“I was enrolled at a regular school in Masvingo and I attended my Grade One to Seven. I was the only visually impaired learner in my class. Learning was very difficult for me as my teachers had to dictate the notes to me and I failed dismally. I didn’t understand most of the things that I was learning,” she said.
“When I completed my Grade Seven my parents realised that there wasn’t much that I had learnt and they sent me to M Hugo Primary School. Even though I had to repeat my grades but I was glad that I was finally in a school where I could fit in. I really enjoy learning right now. I mostly enjoy the craft that we do.
I use my hands to feel the work that I will be doing to ensure that my products come out well,” said Portia.
She said she wishes to use the skills she has obtained to make a living after school. Portia said it is also her desire to gain knowledge on how to make more products. She said she was delighted to take part in the National Disability Expo and have a chance to showcase her talent.
M Hugo School which is in Masvingo was founded by Mrs Margaretha Hugo in 1915. The institution houses a primary and secondary school.
It is one of the first institutions which offered services to learners with disability in the country. One of the objectives of the school is to remove visually impaired school leavers from the streets by empowering them with self-reliance skills.
The school offers formal education, child empowerment programme, adult rehabilitation, primary eye care, assessment and placement of children with disabilities. It also offers specialised Braille, orientation and mobility, music home economics, information and communication technology, skills training and agriculture.
Mr Gerald Maguta who is a senior teacher at the primary school and is also in charge of the schools’ outreach programme, said the institution has 169 pupils at primary level and 161 pupils at secondary level.
“The institution has both a primary and secondary school which caters for pupils from ECD up to Form Six. Not all children are gifted academically hence we offer life skills so that when they leave school they use the skills to earn a living,” said Mr Maguta.
He said what the pupils make include table mats, key holders, handbags, necklaces, bracelets among others.
“We also train pupils to undertake various agriculture projects such as poultry, gardening and fish farming.
“We give equal opportunities to all pupils at academic and skills training and then we identify their strength and maximise on it,” said Mr Maguta.
He said all pupils go through academic studies but those who are gifted in various skills are also given more time to develop their skills. Mr Maguta said they use voice recording system to enable pupils to use computers. — @DubeMatutu.
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