The wheelchair that unlocks Define’s dream for learning
Inclusive education transforms lives for children with disabilities in Zimbabwe.
Living with epilepsy and cerebral palsy, ten-year-old Define Chinodya from Epworth, a rural area outside Harare, Zimbabwe, has impaired mobility, posture and coordination. Simple movements like walking, sitting and even speaking are daily struggles for her.
Some in the community did not understand Define’s immobility and difficulty communicating. Instead of offering support, they mocked her and her family.
Define’s grandmother, Muskwaka, a widow raising four children, cared for Define with all her strength. But with meagre income, she could not afford to buy a proper wheelchair. Define relied on others even for the smallest movement. The dream of sending Define to school and get an education like other children was simply out of reach.
"I never imagined Define being in school, let alone teachers introducing her to writing skills."
But everything changed
As part of Zimbabwe’s nationwide drive for inclusive education, Define received a wheelchair that has transformed her life.
For the first time, she is enrolled in school.
Dressed in a blue tracksuit and matching hat, she sits on her new wheelchair at Chinamano Primary School.
For Define, class takes place in a specialized classroom designed to support children with special needs in their early childhood development. Alongside her classmates, she learns to colour, draw and create picture collages and paper butterflies that brighten the cream-coloured classroom walls. The children immerse themselves in games, like stacking and building blocks, racing toy cars and beating miniature drums. Through these activities, Define interacts with her peers, building skills and confidence.
Define’s teacher, Chenero, has observed noticeable improvements in her behaviours. “When she came here, we had difficulties because she could not even smile at you. But now we can play. She enjoys playing with other children, she smiles a lot, she seems to be enjoying school,” Chenero says.
After nearly losing all hope, Muskwaka is amazed by her granddaughter’s progress.
"School has turned Define into an active child who enjoys company such that neighbours can no longer pass without chatting to her."
Making inclusive education a reality in Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe, UNICEF provides assistive devices to children with disabilities, like Define, in poor and rural communities, helping make inclusive education a reality.
So far, 77,000 children with disabilities across the country have received assistive devices through UNICEF, supporting a wide range of needs, including visual, hearing and physical impairments. These devices include braille orbit readers, wheelchairs, walking frames and crutches.
Just like Define, six-year-old Anesu Ashley Chikaka has physical disabilities. Her unemployed parents could not afford a wheelchair, but now with one of her own, she is finally able to attend school.
"I used to feel bad for my mother, she had to carry me on her back everywhere. Now I can freely move with little assistance. I couldn’t go to school, now I can."
For Ashley, the wheelchair has transformed her life. Like her peers, she can now dream big.
“I want to be a nurse,” she said with a wide smile, clutching her pencil and book. “I feel motivated.”
Based on a story originally published on UNICEF Zimbabwe.
