Taonere Banda

Runner Taonere Banda made history in 2016 when she competed at the Paralympic Games in Rio as Malawi’s first Paralympian. She spoke to Sightsavers during her preparations for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Taonere’s interview was given in Chichewa and translated into English.

Taonere

“When I was a child, I didn’t participate in many activities – people just thought because I was a disabled person that I couldn’t compete. But now, I’m competing. When I was at school, I was called to go and participate in athletics events, but when I got there I was told that I couldn’t compete. The people there said, “No, we don’t want the disabled person to participate, we only want able people.” So I felt very bad, and that gave me a setback. I thought that I couldn’t do anything.

“I started running while I was in school. By that time, I was involved with an organisation called NICE (National Initiative for Civic Education). They’re the ones who spotted me and who told me to go and participate in athletics. That’s when I found that I was capable of running, and I started doing well. And I’ve been selected to go to different countries, to participate [in competition]. So I’m happy about that – I love athletics and I’m fond of traveling.

I want to be on the top of the world, and I want the world to know that disabled people have the capability – that they can do sports and put their countries on the world map.

“I’m happy to go to Japan and compete there, because I will meet different people from different countries, and interact with different people there. I’m preparing very well, and I hope to bring a gold medal home from Japan.

“It’s very important for disabled people to be encouraged to participate in different sporting activities, because they grow mentally, physically and socially. They go outside the country, they meet different people, they interact. So they get more knowledge from others.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the athletes, just because of the training being limited. Movement is being limited. Whenever you want to travel outside, you are supposed to be tested. And if the result comes back positive, that means you will not travel. So that’s a setback for us.

“Being a disabled person is not inability. I’m a visually impaired person, but I’m still competing, and travelling to different countries. So other people with disabilities should not look upon down themselves. They can do it. They can be like me.

“I want to be a person who can rely on myself. I want to participate in athletics as any other person can do. I want to do any work that a person without a disability can do.”

James Chuitsi, president of Malawi Paralympics Committee

James was interviewed by Naomie Msungeni from Sightsavers’ country office in Malawi.

Naomie: So this is the second time that Malawi is sending athletes to the Paralympics games. What impact do you think sending these athletes to the games has on disability rights in Malawi?

James: Honestly, it has a very huge impact. In Malawi, we still are a society where there is stigma towards people with disabilities. So by sending the athletes, it’s telling everybody; it’s telling every Malawian to appreciate issues about disability and to appreciate that those people with disabilities, as long as they are given an opportunity, will certainly do something in life. It’s giving a good angle because all the time we hear of laws being passed in parliament but it’s very important that on the ground, people see action happening. That’s when they appreciate so much about issues of disability.

Malawi participated [in the Paralympic Games] in 2016, and we are participating again. In the last four years, there’s been a lot happening. As the Paralympic Committee, we have trained more athletes. We have managed to reach out so we can say that on the ground, the word about disability [and the] games is getting across.

Naomie: Why do you think it is important that Malawi is represented at the Paralympics?

James: It is very important. You will know that three weeks ago, our team for the Olympics left for the Games in Tokyo. Now our going also shows that it’s not only those people without impairment who can achieve, or who can receive maximum support. It shows that also people with disabilities are being recognised, we’re being given a chance to participate. It’s very important.

Naomie: What are your hopes for the team this year?

James: We hope to do better. In 2016, we had some issues – our athlete was disqualified because of a technical fault. So over the years we’ve worked on correcting that so such mishaps do not happen again. We have trained the coaches… and the athletes themselves have been vigorously trained. So we believe that the result this time around should be different. We are really hoping for a medal.

Naomie: That’s exciting. How can children with disabilities in Malawi get more involved in such sports?

James: To begin with, we have discovered as a Paralympic Committee that for us to be meaningful and impactful on the ground, we must first reach out to the young ones. So at the moment, we’ve got programmes that are reaching out to schools and communities. That’s where these things must start. Because if we talk about stigma and you’re talking to people who are already 60, 70 years old, it could be entrenched already in their brains. But now we think the best way is to target the young learners and that’s what we are doing. We have programmes that we are teaching in schools. So the young ones are growing, appreciating inclusivity, appreciating the fact that every person is born equal.

More about Taonere:

2016: The race of her life