New NGO Helps Zambia’s Disabled Find Work | Voice of America - English
   /*-->*/  /*-->*/  /*-->*/  */  /*-->*/  /*-->*/ In northwest Zambia, a group of disabled people are starting their own businesses, and helping to end unemployment and discrimination.
Seven years ago, six of Solwezi's disabledformed a group called "Pentagon." With the support of a Dutch cleric, FatherPio, the group developed a business plan to help them support theirfamilies. The six-man groupthen acquired a room within the central business district of Solwezi. There, they engaged in tailoring, carpentry,hand craft and arts. Before long, moredisabled persons around the Northwest region expressed interest in joining thegroup. Today, membership has reached 600. Together, they're engaged in such activitiesas knitting, tailoring, booking keeping, hand crafting and housekeeping. The expansion hasbrought about a name change -- from "Pentagon" to "Holland Disabled Association." The14-room guest house is nowheadquartered in a shopping complex. Itcreates employment, generates money and supports the disabled. Wheelchair boundNigel Kachongu is the chairperson of association. He explains how the group isusing its infrastructure to assist the disabled. "[If you're disabled]," he explains, "it'svery difficult to find money and run a business on your own. So we thought oflooking for able bodied people (to manage the shops) who in-turn employ a disabledperson so that dream of the disabled of running a shops does not die out." "Ontop of that," he continues,"we have a fixed salary which that able bodied person coming intothe shop has to pay that disabled. Afterthat he (abled person) has to pay rent and that rent comes back to the disabled(association) which we then use to take our friends to hospital, support thosein school and some members within the community." The associationplans to expand its operations and support disabled people throughout Zambia ?something that requires additional resources. Mary Kanjanja Chulucurrently works as a cleaner at Holland Guest House. She has been a member of the association forseveral years and explains that the association has assisted a lot of disabledpeople around the North-Western area. Chulu says beingdisabled should not discourage anyone from realizing their dreams. "I know God hasgiven each one of us talents," she says. "If we make good use of those talents we can beself-reliant. If they (disabled) use their talents they [can generate an incomeand] improve their [standard of living]." Another beneficiaryand member of the association is Gilbert Mudidi. Mudidi, who moves on crutches,is employed as Holland Guest House Supervisor. He says he the association has helped him support his two children andhis entire family. "The benefit for meas a member of HDA (Holland Disabled Association)," he says, "is that at the end of themonth I am able to gain something, to live a better life. I am also able to feed my family,and buy [what my parents need]." There are anestimated one-and-a-half million physically disabled people in Zambia. An additional three million are blind. Membership in theHolland Disabled Association is limited to those who are 45-years-of-age and younger. The association says it also helps olderpeople with their medical fees and provide them with training in readingbrail.