Nhau News Online News that is accurate, reliable, trustworthy!!
05 September 2020
By Wayne Wade
Enabel, the Belgian government’s development agency also into poverty eradication across the globe has partnered DAPP Zimbabwe in the provision of tertiary education strictly to the disabled and very vulnerable youths in Shamva and Bindura districts of Mashonaland Central at Ponesai Vanhu and Chaminuka Vocational training colleges for two years.
The agency is offering 200 scholarships in short eight months technical courses at the two colleges under the theme “Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) For All” to youths between 15 and 35 years.
Edwick Mafama, Ponesai Vanhu Technical College principal speaking at Chakonda Business Centre whilst raising awareness on the initiative to some of the youths and their care givers said anyone within the aforementioned age range and disabled or with a proven letter of vulnerability from the Social Welfare department and literate can apply for consideration.
“The funding has been availed for two years but we are concerned with the low numbers of people with disabilities applying for enrollment.
“Applications are already being received. We want to enroll 100 people this year, 50 percent of them should be girls whilst 15 percent should be those with disabilities,” he said.
“We do not want any educational qualifications, as long as one is literate, disabled and has a proven letter of vulnerability then he is eligible to apply.”
Ponesai Vanhu Technical College is an arm of DAPP Zimbabwe whilst Chaminuka Vocational Training College is a government run institution.
Bindura University of Science Education working in collaboration with Leornard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe helped in the needs assessment and curriculum development of the programme.
Courses on offer include; Electronics maintenance and repairs, Auto Electrics, Beauty Therapy, Clothing and Textiles, Smart Agriculture and Metal Fabrication amongst others.
Applications can be dropped at any Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation office in the two districts or at the respective colleges in Shamva and Mt Darwin indicating the preferred course and identification documents attachments.
Mafama who is also the project coordinator said the training is done to empower the group with life skills that can improve their and communities livelihoods and release them from being charity people who survive on handouts.
DAPP is again running another programme targeting the disabled funded by the European intending to help the government to adopt an inclusive approach to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities in all policies and programmes as envisioned by the United Nations Convention of Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD).
The programme was dubbed “Youth actions on implementation and monitoring of disability rights in Zimbabwe” and it targets three districts that are Shamva, Bindura and Rushinga.
The programme is a partnership with Leornard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe and is running for three years having started last year.
The programme is driven by lessons learnt over the past 37 years of LCDZ’s operations in the country and that of DAPP in rural communities where people living with disabilities are treated as outcasts.
It is also informed by the results and lessons from a multi donor, including the European Union, funded Young Voices Disability Rights Programme phase 1 and 2.
It seeks to increase human rights awareness and participation in decision making bodies by youth with disabilities.
It also strives to enhance cooperation and coordination between disabled people’s organizations, civil society organizations and duty bearers to mainstream human rights of persons with disabilities into the national agenda amongst many other reasons.
Its overall objective is to contribute towards the promotion, respect, protection, equal and full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disability in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
