'Disabled YES! but we can also do it, give us a chance'

My name is Sibonokuhle Theodora Dube. I was inspired to write this article to everyone who is able bodied and those with disabilities to show everyone that being disabled doesn't mean inability.

I chose to write to this website because of its popularity and confidentiality.

I am physically disabled. I acquired the injury on the 28th of October2002 after a road accident. The accident left me with a permanent and horrible injury on my left leg and a permanent scar on my forehead. The left leg dislocated on the neck of femur (at the hip). The ball had actually slipped out of the disc completely. I stayed in hospital for almost three months.

I was admited on the 28th of October 2002 at the United Bulawayo Hospitals. While l was in the hospital l was put on skin traction. I could not manage to move from one place to another because of the weights which were attached to my leg. This was meant to facilitate the rejoining and healing where the leg was dislocated. l did everything from a seated position, eg accessing the toilet (commode). I could not stand and take a shower or use the bath. I used to wipe myself from a sitting position.

I was then discharged on the 3rd of January 2003.  l was given walking aids (crutches) to help me manage to walk. These walking aids used to scare small kids to death and they would literally run away from me because it was their first time to see someone using these aids. In those days it was very hard for me to accept it in my life that I was going to live with this disability. It was compounded by the fact that one of my legs was five and a half centimetres longer than the other.

This makes it difficult to walk with a normal gait. It was in 2005 when l was doing my shopping in Bulawayo when l met a lady who invited me to the organisation for women and girls with disabilities. The organisation is called Zimbabwe women with disabilities in development. In this organisation l met people with various disabilities where they shared with others that being disabled doesn't mean inability. From that time l started accepting and knowing that God had a purpose for me. I was then elected to be a committee member in the executive comittee. I was also offered to be co ordinator of Mzingwane district where l worked with the councilors of the wards and their village  heads to give me the names , age,  type of disability of the disabled in their wards. I also went around helping them to form their sub committees.

These committees were meant to keep these people occupied with some worthwhile activities. We also raised their awareness about their rights. In our ward 20 in Mbalabala I am the secretary of the committee. A lot has been done but there is a challenge that most of the disabled are not employed. They wish to have projects so that they are not dependant on other people.

I was born in Gwanda District in a the village of Wabayi from the Mathalaza Dube family. My parents are both deceased. I am the first born of three girls and two boys. My siblings respect the fact that I am a disabled person and treat me no different from any other able-bodied individual. I am a 33 year old mother of two boys, aged thirteen and eleven. They are in grades seven and five respectively. My children depend on me for their livelihoods and educational needs. I am employed as a nurse-aid at the Mbalabala barracks. I have learnt to work with people from all walks of life without discrimination. The biggest challenge I am facing is raising money to get my legs fixed to the same length. This would enable me to walk easier and quicker with a normal gait. I easily tire when I walk about because of balance problems with one leg significantly longer than the other. This does not only exhaust me but causes me great pain at times .

I think if l can get help in the form of business ideas and financial help l can demonstrate to the world that disabled people can do great things like the able bodied ones can do.

Most of the disabled are stigmatised and therefore not sent to school because they are looked down upon as people without anything to offer. I think if we get support and engage them to help them go to special schools that have facilities that suit them and pay for their school fees with the help of social welfare they can achieve a lot. Some need to do courses but their challenge is financial backing or assistance because nobody thinks they are worth it. Some need to do courses but the financed problem is the most challange. They also need to be helped with walking aids and many other materials that suit their needs.