People with disabilities in Hopely face the brunt of COVID-19.
Pauline Chateuka
In an effort to bring out challenges caused by Covid-19 pandemic, Community Radio Harare interviewed people with disabilities in Hopley Settlement in Harare. World Health Organisation (WHO) states that people with disability are at one billion worldwide making up 15% of the total world population. Zimbabwe in turn has about 900 000 people with disability making them 7% of the national population.
Tinashe Mashumba, a 23 year old boy with disability has faced a number of challenges in life, this year posed yet another extra challenge caused by COVID-19. Everything including his vending business came to a halt forcing him to use the money that he had saved up over the years leaving him with nothing to help restart his business.
“I have no idea on how I’m going to resume my business since l used my capital during the national lockdown”, Tinashe said.
For Felistus Savanhu a woman with disability in Hopely living through collecting and selling empty plastic bottles, COVID-19 turned her live upside down as well. She explained that prior to COVID-19 they wouldn’t wait for a very long time for the collected bottles to be bought however with COVID-19 buyers come once every 3 weeks, making difficult for her to fight off poverty since this is her only source of income.
“We are looking forward to the government to assist us with grants and special assistance to go to people with disability so as to help us be able to survive”, Felistas said.
Watch the full video on YouTube and Facebook: Facebook: https: https://fb.watch/1uxI4kur5Y/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtOuew1Dz7c
