INNER FEELING FROM HUSNA SELUNGWI ABOUT TRACED WORK IN TANZANIA

Please, I will not treat fairly Madam Husna Selungwi if I kept quite not forwarding her words of thanks and appreciation to you all.

I think this is my first time to have this news and I would like you all to go through and be in touch direct to Madam Husna Selungwi who is now working with SOS in Zanzibar. You can get a lot from her.

Be Blessings All who you are enabling the Children with Disabilities (CWDs) change their Lifes and Meet their DREAMS. ERIKS deserve big FOURS.

You are all welcome and join us in this Noble Work as commended by Madam Husna Selungwi the former TRACED Project Coordinator in Dsm.

Yours faithfully,

Mr R.Y. Mbonia,
For TRACED

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“Mwanamke kuolewa na mtu mwenye ulemavu huonekana kama ‘Msimbe’ katika jamii inayo nizunguka.” KIGOMBE MAGIGE KIGOMBE

Naitwa Kigombe Magige ni mwenyekiti wa watu wenye ulemavu wilaya ya Bunda, naishi katika kijiji cha Manyamanyama Bunda. Nina mke na watoto wanne (4), elimu yangu ni elimu ya sekondari niliyo hitimu mwaka 1993 katika shule ya sekondari Ikizu. Kwahivi sasa nashughilika na shughuli za kushona viatu pamoja na shughuli nyingine ndogondogo za kujikimu kimaisha.

Mimi ni mlemavu wa viungo, ulemavu huu niliupata nikiwa na miaka mitatu (3) nadhani ilikua ni polio kwasababu mzazi wangu alinambia kua niliugua homa kali ghafla, badae wakaenda kunichoma sindano baada ya kurudi mguu wa kulia ukawa unakataa kufanya kazi. Walijaribu kuwa wanachimba shimo na kunisimamisha ndani kwa siku nzima lakini hamna nafuu, matokeo yake miguu yote ikapooza na nikaishia kuwa hivi.

Nilikutana na changamoto mbalimbali katika swala la kuoa, mke wakwanza niliyemwoa nilikaanae baada ya siku watu wakaanza kumcheke na kumwambia wewe utaakaje na mtu mwenye ulemavu? Baada ya muda baba mkwe na mama mkwe wakaamua kunisaliti na kumwondoa kwangu na akachukuliwa na bwana mwingine ambaye mpaka sasa wanajificha. Baadae nilipata mke mwingine na kumwoa, kidogo yupo lakini changamoto haziishi, anasema wanamcheka na kumwambia wewe nikama ‘Msimbe’ sababu mme wako mwenyewe ni kilema sijui ulimpendea nini? Changamoto kama hizo hazikosi maana katika jamii sio wote wanaoelewa kuwa ulemavu ni mapenzi yake Mungu, leo unaweza kuwa mzima baadae ukawa mlemavu. Wengine wanaona ulemavu kama ni balaa katika jamii, kwakweli tuna kumbana na changamoto kubwa katika jamii pamoja na serikali, tunanyanyaswa kwakweli.

Manyanyaso yanakuja kwasababu ukienda serikalini hata kuomba namna ya kuwezeshwa ili uweze kuboresha kazi zako serikali wanakwambia hawana fedha. Ukienda katika benki wanakwambia una nini cha kuweza kujidhamini ili tukupe fedha? Ukienda kwenye asasi hizi zinazotoa mikopo wanasema mlemavu!? Huyu anataka achukue fedha ale apotelee kwasababu hana aseti inayoweza kumdhamini aweze kukopa. Sasa mara nyingi watu wenye ulemavu tumekua ombaomba kutokana na kukosa mitaji yakuweza kujiajiri sisi wenyewe, pia serikali haitupi ajira wala kupanga mafungu kwaajili ya watu wenye ulemavu, tumekua ni watu tuliosahaulika, tunaongelewa katika magazeti na redio lakini kivitendo hatumo kabisa.

Ndoto zangu nyingi sijazifikia, nilikuwa na makusudi kwamba ntakapo kuwa mtumzima niwe na familia, nipate maisha ya kujitegemea niwe na nyumba niwe na biashara zangu nzuri zakufanya. Watoto nimeishapata na mke ninae, tatizo linakuja kwenye ajira na biashara zangu (hasahasa kujiajiri mi mwenyewe). Sijapata mtaji wakutosha wakunifanya nijiajiri mwenyewe, sijaweza kuajiriwa na mtu, kwa hali hiyo bado naishi kwenye nyumba duni ya kupanga. Ukilinganisha gharama za maisha ya kupanga, unakuta chumba wanataka elfu ishirini (20000), sasa sisi watu wenye ulemavu tunapoenda kutafuta nyumba za kupanga kwa mtu, unakuta huyo mtu anaanza kuwa na wasiwasi kama mlemavu anaweza kulipa kodi, mwingine atataka akupe banda tu uishi kwasababu anaweza kukuvumilia uishi bure kwenye banda kwasababu hawezi kukuweka kwenye nyumba nzuri ambayo anawezakuitumia kupata fedha. Hali hii imekua ni ngumu kwangu mpaka sasa inanipa mawazo sana.

Nawashauri wenzangu watu wenye ulemavu wasife moyo, wawe na juhudi za kutafuta fedha na maisha wajitolee kujitumikisha ili waondokane na unyanyapaa huu tunaoupata. Pia watu wenye ulemavu tusijishushe sana kuwa hatuwezi kitu, tuwe na nia na imani kua tunaweza iwapo tukiwezeshwa, tusifike mahala kutegemea kwamba tuwe ombaomba. Wale ambao tunaujuzi tujitahidi kuutumia ujuzi wetu katika kujisaidia, tusiendelee kuwa mitaani na vibakuli tukiombaomba matokeo yake tunatukanwa tunanyanyaswa na kukerwa na jamii. Nawale wanaoenda shule wajitahidi kusoma kwa bidii kwasababu swala la ulemavu sio kitu cha ajabu ni maumbile tu yanayotokana na mapenzi ya Mungu.

Jamii ione tatizo la ulemavu ni la watu wote na jamii kwa ujumla,ione mlemavu kama mtu anayestaili upendo na kusaidiwa ili aweze kujimudu kimaisha. Jamii ione ninamna gani inaweza kumsaidia mtu mwenye ulemavu kua na maisha bora ili ajione kama watu wengine. Jamii ichukulie ulemavu kama si laana au dhambi, iuone ulemavu kama mapenzi ya Mungu. Isiwanyanyase wala kuwatenga, kwamfano unakuta kwenye familia nyingine walemavu wanafungiwa ndani na kufichwa hawataki waonekane, wanaonakwamba wewe ni kitu cha ajabu. Inawezekana mtu akawa anatembea mzima lakini akawa mlemavu kuliko huyo mklemavu anayetengwa.

Asasi na taasisi zinazojishughulisha na maswala ya watu wenye ulemavu zifanye utafiti na kuwasaidia kikweli watu wenye ulemavu, isiwe kuwatumia watuwenye ulemavu kama chambo cha kupatia fedha na kutumia wenyewe hiki sio kitu kizuri. Kama ni asasi imeamua kuwasaidia watu wenye ulemavu iwasaidie kwa juhudi zote, iwapatie nyenzo za kutembelea, iwape mikopo ya kuwawezesha kujishughulisha na uzalishaji mali, isichukulie kwamba mlemavu ni mtu wa kulishwa tu. Asasi nyingi zinawachukua watu wenye ulemavu na kuwakusanya pamoja kwa kuwapatia mahitaji ambayo sio ya kimaendeleo na hapo wanakua wamewanyanyasa watu wenye ulemavu badala ya kuwasaidia kwasababu hawawaoneshi picha halisi ya maisha yakuweza kujitegemea.

Serikali imekua na danganya toto, maranyingi imekua ikisema kuwa inategema mafungu kwaajili ya watu wenye ulemavu lakini haifanyi hivyo kihalisia. Ukija kwenye sheria ya mwaka 2010 ya watu wenye ulemavu, hiyo sheria imetungwa lakini hakuna mlemavu anayejua hiyo sheria inasema nini? Imebaki tu kwenye makaburasha yao. Serikali hiyohiyo inasema inawawakilishi wa watu wenye ulemavu bungeni, lakini wawakilishi hao wanatoka maofisini na kwenye vyama vya siasa na kwenda kwenye bunge! Hawajatoka kwenye bunge na kuja kukaa na watu wenye ulemavu na kujua walemavu wanataka nini, wanashida gani? Na kero hizo zikapelekwa bungeni, imekua watu hawa wanatetea maslahi ya vyama vya siasa na watu walio wateua. Kwahyo tunafikiri kwamba serikali haijatenda haki kwa watu wenye ulemavu kuwapa uwakilishi.  Serikali ilisaini mkataba wa haki za binaadamu kwa watu wenye ulemavu, lakini imekua kama danganya toto, katika mkataba huo unaonesha wazi kwamba hata baiskeli inatakiwa inastahili serikali isaidie watu wenye ulemavu lakini cha ajabu serikali haifanyi hivo badala yake wanaziachia asasi. Sisi sio wa asasi sisi ni watanzania na serikali inawajibika kwa watu wote, hakuna mafungu.

Rais naye anaonekana kuwanyanyapaa watu wenye ulemavu kwasababu; hakuna mlemavu anayeteuliwa kua mkuu wa wilaya, waziri, wala mkuu wa mkoa wote unakuta ni watu wenginewengine tu! Hivi mlemavu hawezi kweli? Hivi hakuna walemavu wenye elimu? Wapo niwengi ila kilichopo nikwamba tumetengwa kwavile wanasema walemavu wengi hawakusoma. Tunaendelea kunyanyaswa na kupuuzwa hata kiongozi wa serikali anazidi kuonesha unyanyapaa huo.

Napenda pia kuzungumzia swala la wenzetu walemavu wa ngozi, hawa niwatu wakawaida kama watu wengine lakini jamii imewachukulia kama ni ‘deal’, biashara na kuwafanya waishi bila amani, wasiwasi, na hofu kubwa kutokana na rangi waliyopewa na Mwenyezi Mungu. Swala la serikali kusema iwakusanye na kuwaweka pamoja, pia ni sawa na kuwanyanyapaa. Tunaomba serikali itoe elimu kwa jamii kuwa watu wenye ulemavu nisawa na watu wengine. Nakama mtu akibainika kuwa ameua mtu mwenye ulemavu wa ngozi, naomba serikali ingeweka amri au sheria kali ya kuwanyonga watu wa aina hiyo.

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‘Njia bora ya kupambana na changamoto zinazotukumba watu wenye ulemavu ni kuonesha uwezo wetu kwa vitendo.’ ABDILLAH OMAR ABUBAKAR

Naitwa Abdillah Omar Abubakar, ni mweka hazina wa chama cha Albino Tanzania (TAS) na pia ni mjumbe wa bodi ya SHIVYAWATA.

Namshukuru Mungu nimeoa na nina watoto watatu (3). Mke wangu ni Albino vilevile ila sio kwamba nilimuoa kwasababu nisingeweza kupata mwanamke wa aina nyingine. Ni mapenzi tu ndo yalitufanya tuoane. Vikwazo katika jamii huwa havikosi, hususani vikwazo vya kimtizamo. Kila mzazi anatamani mwane apate kilicho bora, huo ndo ukweli.

Nilipowambia wazazi wangu kua naoa na nikawatajia mchumba wangu, hawakuweka shaka kua kwanini namuoa yeye? Halikadhalika wazazi wa mwenzangu hawakuweza kuniwekea vikwazo pia. Inawezekana watu wa nje ambao sio wazazi wetu kuanza kujiuliza maswali. Hili ni swala la kawaida tu. Lakini baada ya kuoana tunaishi na jamii katika mazingira ambayo ni mazuri mno! Hatukumbani na unyanyapaa wa aina yoyote. Tunashiriki kikamilifu katika shughuli za kijamii na tunathaminiwa katika kila ngazi.

Changamoto zilizojaa katika jamii ni zile za mitazamo. Unaweza ukafika mahala, watu kwa kukuona kwamba wewe ni Albino wanadhani hata ule uwezo wa kufikiri huna. Mara nyingi kupambana na changamoto hizi ni kutumia njia ya kuonesha kwa vitendo. Kwamba pale ambapo unaona kuwa kuna kikwazo cha aina flani, basi wewe unaonesha uwezo ili kukinzana na kile kikwazo. Kwahiyo majibu yanapotokea, ushirikishwaji na kuaminika hupewa nafasi kubwa sana. Lakini naweza nikasema kwa uzoefu wangu wa maswala ya watu wenye ulemavu, nimepata kuskia na kuona mambo mengi ambapo, kama kusingekuepo na hivi vyama mimi nisingejifunza vitu vingi. Na kwabahati nzuri ndani ya familia yangu sikuwa na unyanyapaa tokea nilipozaliwa mpaka nakua. Kwahiyo mambo mengi nisingeweza kuyafahamu. Wazazi wangu waliamini kuwa mimi nahitaji kua chini yao kwa maisha yangu yote. Ispokua kutokana na kutokua na elimu nzuri ya maswala haya, kuna mazingira mengine ya malezi walionipa mimi ambayo yalikua ni vikwanzo kwangu ila hawakujua.

Moja ya ndoto zangu kubwa ilikua ni kutoka kwenye jamii na kufahamika, kutambulika na kusikika pia ili kutoa mchango ndani ya jamii inayo nizunguka. Hizo ndoto zimejitokeza ambapo kwa sasa ni kiongozi tena kiongozi wa kitaifa wa chama na vilevile kiongozi wa shirikisho ambalo linashikilia vyama vyote vya maswala ya watu wenye ulemavu. Hivyo ndoto zangu zimeweza kutimia kwa kiasi flani.

Moja ya ndoto zangu ilikua ni kutokujiangalia nilivo ila nione je nina uwezo gani katika kutenda? Kwa mfano mimi ni Albino, kwahiyo ninapozungumza sizungumzi kama albino, ila nazungumza kama binaadamu mwenye utashi na fikra.

Maoni yangu yatajikita sana katika kauli mbiu ya mwaka huu ‘Ondoa vikwazo ili kujenga jamii jumuishi’. Vikwazo vilivyoainishwa hapa ni vingi, vikiwemo vile vya kisaikolojia. Kwamba unapomwona mtu mwenye ulemavu, ukaanza kumwona kwamba si kitu utambue kua hata yeye atajiskia kua si kitu.Hali hii inawafanya watu wenye ulemavu kujiona kwamba wao si sahihi pale walipo. Hiki ni kikwazo cha kwanza kinachojenga vikwazo vingi huko mbele ya safari. Vikwazo hivi humfanya mtu mwenye ulemavu hata awapo darasani asiweze kujiona kama mtu anayeweza kusoma hivyo kushindwa kumudu vitu vingi. Katika sehemu za mjumuiko mtu mwenye ulemavu akienda kucheza dansi watu wakashangaa, atajiona kama kichekesho na sio mtu wa kawaida. Ile hali ikiendelea inapelekea kudumaza akili za watu wenye ulemavu. Kwahiyo naiomba jamii kuondoa vikwazo hivyo.

Vikwazo vingine viko katika upande wa afya; kwa mfano kundi la albino. Hawa ulemavu wao uko katika ngozi na macho, ngozi zao hazina uwezo wa kuhimili mionzi ya jua kutokana na ukosefu wa melanini. Sasa hawa watu wanaathirika na jua kali, lakini elimu ya afya kwa wazazi wanao wazaa albino kwenye mahospitali bado iko duni. Hakuna wakunga wa kutoa elimu juu ya namna ya kuwatunza watoto wa aina hiyo. Mtoto anapofikia ule uwezo wa kuona utakuta mzazi pasipokujua anamtuma achukue kitu flani ambacho yeye hakioni. Sasa asipo kileta wanamchukulia kama mjeuri, hivyo hujikuta wanamfanyia harasi sana kitu mabacho hakimpelekei mtoto kujifunza. Watu wa afya wangetoa elimu kwa jamii juu ya albino na namna ya kuishi nao katika jamii ilikusudi nao waweze kuishi kwa amani kama watu wengine.

Ukienda mbele katika huduma za mashuleni, albino wanahitaji nyezo maalumu za kukuza maandishi ili waweze kuona na kusoma kama watoto wengine. Hiki ni kikwazo kwasababu vitu hivi hakuna. Kwamfano hata kwenye maswala ya habari za kuchapishwa kama magazeti, utakuta mtu anaishia kusoma kichwa cha habari pekeake lakini hawezi kuendelea kusoma maandishi mengine maana hana nyenzo za kuyakuza. Hivyo ni muhimu sana kuwa na nyenzo za kutosha ili albino waweze kujifunza na kupata habari mbalimbali.

Mwisho; nawaomba waajiri waondoe unyanyapaa na fikra potofu linapokuja swala la ajira kwa watu wenye ulemavu. Hii itawapelekea watu wenye ulemavu kukuza vipato vyao na kujimudu wao na familia zao hivyo kujenga heshima zao ndani ya jamii.

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Statement of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemning “abhorrent” attacks on people with albinism in Tanzania.

Pillay condemns “abhorrent” attacks on people with albinism in Tanzania

GENEVA (5 March 2013) – The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said Tuesday she was appalled by reports of an upsurge in attacks against people with albinism in Tanzania, and called on the authorities there to take stronger measures to halt the crimes and tackle the underlying discrimination.

“I strongly condemn these vicious killings and attacks, which were committed in particularly horrifying circumstances, and which have involved dismembering people, including children, while they are still alive,” Pillay said.

Four new attacks targeting people with albinism, three of whom were children, were documented in Tanzania in a period of just 16 days:

· On 31 January, Lugolola Bunzari, a 7-year-old boy with albinism was brutally murdered in Kanunge village, Tabora region. His attackers slashed his forehead, right arm and left shoulder, and chopped off his left arm just above the elbow. The boy’s grandfather, aged 95, was also killed in the attack as he tried to protect his grandson.

· On 5 February, a 7-month-old baby, Makunga Baraka, narrowly escaped death after armed men attacked his home in the Simiyu region. Villagers chased the attackers away and surrounded the house to protect him. The baby and his mother were taken to the police station the following morning and given temporary sanctuary.

· On 11 February, at around 2:00 a.m., Maria Chambanenge, a 39-year-old woman with albinism was attacked by five armed men, allegedly including her husband, in Mkowe village, Rukwa region. They hacked off her left arm while she was sleeping with two of her four children. The five suspects were subsequently arrested and the victim’s arm recovered. Their trial is reported to be under way.

· On 15 February, Mwigulu Matonange, a 10-year-old boy with albinism was attacked on his way home from school, and his left arm chopped off above the elbow by two unidentified men in Msia village, Rukwa region. Three men have been arrested in connection with the attack. Following the attack, the boy is reported to have asked his father to find him “a school where the bad men cannot find me and chop off my other arm.”

The killing and mutilation of people with albinism is often linked to witchcraft. Some practitioners allegedly also believe that the witchcraft is more powerful if the victim screams during the amputation, which explains why the body parts are often cut from live victims.
In addition to the Maria Chambanenge case where trials are already underway, Tanzanian police have reportedly opened investigations in two of the other three cases that occurred since late January.

However, in general, successful prosecutions are extremely rare: out of the 72 murders of people with albinism documented in Tanzania since 2000, only five cases are known to have resulted in successful prosecutions.

“These crimes are abhorrent,” Pillay said. “People with albinism have the right to start living, like anyone else, without fear of being killed or dismembered. The Tanzanian authorities have the primary responsibility to protect people with albinism, and to fight against impunity, which is a key component for prevention and deterrence of the crimes targeting this exceptionally vulnerable community,” she said. “I urge the Tanzanian authorities to strengthen their legal response to such crimes and increase their efforts to bring perpetrators of attacks and killings to justice.”

Noting that witchcraft beliefs and practices are entrenched in some segments of Tanzanian society, Pillay called on the authorities to address the issue through a multi-pronged approach.

“As well as physically protecting people with albinism, the Government needs to take a much stronger and more pro-active approach to education and awareness-raising campaigns to combat the stigma attached to albinism,” she said. She also encouraged the authorities to guarantee the victims' right to redress, and to provide them with medical and psychosocial treatment, as well as legal support.

“I am deeply alarmed by the general discrimination and social exclusion many people with albinism suffer, as a result of their skin colour, not just in Tanzania but in other countries as well,” Pillay said, noting that families of children with albinism frequently neglect their education.

Those who do attend school often suffer from severe bullying, and many are forced to drop out of school and live in poverty. This marginalization can be a contributing factor to a shorter life expectancy than that of other members of the same society: many people with albinism cannot, for example, afford simple remedies, such as sun cream, that would protect them from the increased risk of skin cancer caused by the lack of pigmentation in their skin.

“People with albinism are a group with special health needs,” Pillay said. “They are, however, perfectly capable of looking after themselves, if their societies do not marginalize them. Much more attention needs to be devoted to their predicament in Tanzania, and elsewhere.”

ENDS

For more information or media requests, please contact Rupert Colville (+41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org) or Cécile Pouilly (+ 41 22 917 9310 /cpouilly@ohchr.org)

My voice, my right, my voice counts – Watch the Human Rights Day’s video:
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THANKS GOES TO: http://socialworkclubtz.blogspot.com/

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