admin
Danisa Masuku
GROWING UP in Makokoba suburb, Bulawayo, Tapelo Moyo (18), a young girl with disability avoided going to a clinic to access contraceptives such as condoms to use when she indulges in sex with her partner. Why? She feared that she would be stigmatised.
“I once went to a local health institution to get contraceptives so that I would not fall pregnant and to get information on family planning issues but I did not like the way people in the queue looked at me. The staff looked shocked that I indulged in sex,” she said.
She added: “I felt unwanted, moreover stigmatised.”
She is not alone in this predicament.
“I have realised that I’m not the only one facing this challenge but there are a lot of youths with disabilities who are facing the same problem as me,” she said.
Thanks to the National Council of Disabled Persons of Zimbabwe (NCDPZ) for organising a workshop recently , which focused on empowering youths with disabilities. The workshop centred on reproductive health, accessing family planning and stigmatisation.
Moyo and her peers and community members were invited to the event.
“We learnt matters to do with sex and to make informed choices. Above all the information I got helped in building my confidence and making me believe in myself,” she said.
Dudu Tapela from NCDPZ said: “Our main objective was to raise awareness on disability inclusion. We invited community members and children with disabilities from Ward Eight to discuss matters on reproductive health, stigmatisation and accessing services from Family Planning and New Start Centres.”
She added: “We have engaged them and empowered them with information to build their self-belief so that they can feel confident when they visit service providers such as clinics, family planning, Population Service International (PSI).”
Tapela said after being armed with information they could find ways to escape rape and gender-based violence.
“We also had teenagers in attendance and they were equipped so that they would make informed choices when they want to fall in love,” she said.
Online Reporter