By Zuhura Zukhery
Matukio Daima, Iringa
The society has been urged to stop stigmatizing people with disabilities and to expose children with such challenges so that they can access various opportunities, including education, which will help them achieve their life goals.
Dorice Deule, a young woman with a disability from Mdabulo Ward in Mufindi District, Iringa Region, is among 134 youths receiving training in community psychology, entrepreneurship, and project initiation through the Youth Agency in Mufindi (YAM) project.
She emphasized that stigma remains a significant barrier for people with disabilities.
Through the YAM project, youths with disabilities from Ihanu, Mdabulo, and Luhunga wards in Mufindi District have continued to receive these trainings.
She pointed out that in some rural communities, there is still a lack of sufficient awareness about people with disabilities, leading to their exclusion, stigmatization, and even confinement, depriving them of their fundamental rights.
“The people we live with in different areas stigmatize us because of our disabilities.
They see us as worthless in society, believing we cannot contribute to development.
However, the Youth Agency in Mufindi (YAM) project has recognized our value and provided us with training, opening new opportunities for us,” she said.
Dorice, a mother of four, shared that women with disabilities often face additional challenges, such as being impregnated and abandoned, which worsens their financial struggles due to a lack of stable income sources.
“I am a mother of four, each with a different father.
I thank God that two of my children were taken in by their fathers, but I remain with the other two.
One of their fathers passed away, and I have been struggling to care for them.
I have never received any support from the government or the surrounding community,” she said.
She explained that she was fortunate to study up to the second year of secondary school, but after her father passed away, her education came to a halt due to her mother’s inability to afford school fees and other expenses.
During this difficult period, she got pregnant by a man who had promised to marry her, but he abandoned her after she gave birth, leaving her to raise the child alone.
Other men later took advantage of her disability and financial struggles, deceived her, and abandoned her after impregnating her, deepening her sense of worthlessness.
However, the YAM project has given her a new sense of hope, making her realize that she had previously missed out on opportunities available to her.
“Now, I will confidently engage in my economic activities because, after attending this training, I have realized that I am just like everyone else and capable of earning a living.
For instance, I am currently enrolled in livestock and agricultural training.
Before this, we underwent community psychology training, which has empowered us.
I am grateful to the YAM project for partnering with the Mufindi District Council,” she said.
The YAM project is implemented by the Mufindi District Council in collaboration with Foxes Community and Wildlife Conservation (FCWC) and Finland.
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