Florence

Florence is the founder of Hope Resurrect Trust in Zimbabwe, which seeks to empower girls and young women with disabilities.

“The trust seeks to empower girls and young women with disabilities. We’ve realised that a lot of women face barriers of accessibility and attitude – but also sometimes self-oppression, where they feel that they are not worthy to be anything. So we try to build self-confidence and help them to realise that they can become anything in life, and that they can improve their own personal lives and the overall development of the nation.

“What drove me to start the organization? When I was growing up, I had a lot of family support and they made me realise that there was nothing wrong with me. So I considered myself just like anyone else. Even when it came to playing games, my siblings and cousins  would choose games that I could actually take part in. When I went out into the external world, I felt that I could do anything. And this made me realise that we don’t all get the same opportunities.

“Some families neglect their children because they’ve got a disability. They see it as a burden or think they will not be able to be anyone in life. So this is the thing that we’re trying to showcase: that you know you are unique and you have to search deep down and find out what you’re able to do. So it’s about a shift in mindset that makes you realise that you’ve got unique qualities.”

“I became involved in the Equal Zimbabwe campaign through networks and by volunteering and supporting other disability organisations. It’s about collaborating and building a stronger network so people notice that even though we are diverse in the way we do things, our aim is to be equal in every opportunity that we get. And the stronger you are when you’re together, the better that you realise the dreams for people with disabilities.

“One of the barriers in Zimbabwe (and, I think, the world over) is that people think that employing a person with disability is a liability when it’s actually an asset. Because people with disabilities have that mindset that I want to do it to the best of my abilities.

“I’m hoping that the bill will be passed and that people will begin to understand how it works. And that the services that it’s being said people with disabilities can enjoy will be fulfilled.”