BY ANDILE TSHUMA
HARARE, Zimbabwe — A wheelchair distribution initiative has brought renewed attention to the challenges faced by families raising children with disabilities, after Patience Madimutsa and her six-year-old daughter, Ciara, visited disability rights champion Nyasha Nhau’s workplace in Harare.
Ciara has cerebral palsy and, according to her mother, also experiences seizures, adding another layer of difficulty to the family’s daily journey.
Madimutsa said her experience as a mother has exposed her to emotional, social and practical challenges associated with caring for a child with a disability.
“Raising a child with a disability comes with challenges that people may not always see or understand. As a mother, you carry responsibilities every day, while also trying to ensure that your child receives the care, support and opportunities she deserves,” Madimutsa said.
She said Ciara’s condition requires continued care and attention, with the seizures making her daughter’s situation even more challenging for the family.
Madimutsa also shared the emotional pain she has experienced since Ciara’s father left the family. She said the community and some family members have often frustrated her, blamed her for circumstances beyond her control and failed to understand the demands of caring for a child with a disability.
“People blame me and make me feel as though Ciara’s disability is my fault. Her father left, and instead of receiving support, I have sometimes faced frustration and judgment from relatives and members of the community,” Madimutsa said.
She said the lack of understanding had made an already difficult journey even harder.
“I am doing everything I can for my daughter. I need encouragement, not blame. I want people to see Ciara as a child with potential and dignity, not only through her disability,” she said.
Her story emerged during a wheelchair distribution programme involving partners supporting people with disabilities through the provision of assistive devices.
The wheelchairs donated to Ciara and other persons with disabilities came from Nyasha Nhau’s partners in the United Kingdom. The partners are led in Zimbabwe by a UK-based Zimbabwean, Media Bango, who is also running an initiative to support people living with epilepsy.
For families such as Ciara’s, access to appropriate assistive devices can make an important difference in mobility, independence and participation in everyday life.
Disability rights champion Nyasha Nhau said Patience’s experience highlights the need to listen to families and address the wider challenges surrounding disability.
“Behind every child with a disability is a family, and in many cases it is the mother who carries a significant part of the responsibility. We must listen to these mothers and understand the realities they face,” Nhau said.
He said disability inclusion should go beyond the distribution of wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
“Assistive devices are important, but inclusion must also mean access to healthcare, education, social protection, rehabilitation and community support. We need systems that support both the child and the family,” Nhau said.
Nhau said the visit by Patience and Ciara was a reminder that disability advocacy must remain centred on people’s lived experiences.
“Every wheelchair we distribute represents more than a piece of equipment. It represents mobility, dignity, independence and hope. But we must also ask what happens after the wheelchair is delivered,” he said.
Madimutsa’s story reflects the experiences of many mothers and caregivers who continue to navigate disability with determination while seeking better opportunities and support for their children.
For Ciara and her family, the journey continues — with the hope that greater awareness, practical support and inclusive policies will ensure that children with disabilities are not left behind.
No mother should have to face this journey alone, and no child should be left behind because of disability.