When you hear about developing countries in Africa, your first thought likely goes to food insecurity and water shortages. Perhaps, you even think about civil unrest and the unreached people groups within the region. However, there is one group that is often overlooked, both by their culture and in efforts for aid—and that is people with disabilities. At Okoa Refuge, we aim to bring this group into the spotlight and bring awareness to their plight. Discover what it means to live with a disability in Africa and what you can do to support them.
The UN estimates that there are 80 million people with disabilities living in Africa currently. Unfortunately, it is hard to know exactly how many people in Africa live with disabilities. Due to a lack of resources and knowledge surrounding disabilities, many people with disabilities live in isolation in Africa, not to mention hidden disabilities such as autism or other mental disabilities may not be identified by parents or teachers.
In fact, while we mentioned that the UN estimates 80 million people, the WHO believes the number is closer to 40% of the African population lives with disabilities, including as many as 15% of children. If this is the case, the number would be closer to 300 million people in Africa living with disabilities. This higher rate takes into account disabilities caused by malnutrition, congenital defects caused by the environment, and the hazards of wars and local conflicts.
Africa is a large continent with 54 countries within its borders. Due to this, the rights of people with disabilities will vary from country to country. Some countries may have more resources to dedicate to disability aid, while others may be in the midst of political strife or civil unrest and are unable to focus on rights for disabilities. However, as a whole the UN and other organizations working throughout Africa, such as the African Network for Evidence to Action on Disability (AfriNEAD), are working to bring awareness and increased support through policy to people with disabilities in Africa.
If we look at a more specific country, we may get a better picture of what the policies actually say about people with disabilities. For example, in Uganda, their constitution recognizes the right of people with disabilities to live with respect and dignity. This includes codifying that jobs should provide reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities, the right to education extends to children with disabilities, and buildings need to have accessible entrances and bathrooms.
Now, it’s important to note that many laws in Uganda are not strictly enforced. So while it’s wonderful that the law has acknowledged the rights of people with disabilities, their lived experiences may be much different.
The biggest obstacle African people with disabilities face is the social and cultural stigma surrounding disability. Like laws, cultural beliefs vary from country to country. However, many cultures in Africa, especially in developing or rural areas, see disabilities as a punishment or curse. Witch doctors and witchcraft are prevalent in Africa, and some cultures believe witch doctors have the power to curse their family members with disabilities.
Others may believe a child born with disabilities is the result of the mother’s sin or some other punishment from God. Because of this stigma, families may hide or even abandon their children with disabilities to avoid social isolation. Unfortunately, violence towards children with disabilities or even the murder of babies with disabilities is not unheard of in some African countries.
At Okoa Refuge, we’re working to change the stigma against disabilities in African countries. Due to a lack of resources, many parents aren’t sure how to properly care for their children with disabilities—they may not even know rehabilitation is an option. That’s why we started a disability rehab center in Masaka, Uganda.
This rehab center provides free therapeutic treatment to people and children with disabilities, including nutrition. We also encourage sustainability by training the parents on how to care for their children with disabilities, so that when treatment is over, they can continue helping their child. As of right now, this center is serving over 60 families.
We also work alongside CCI to provide support and hands-on job training for adults with disabilities at the PWD (People with Disabilities) Market Center. Their vision is to see people with disabilities can live independent and productive lives. To achieve this vision, they teach people with disabilities marketable skills—such as tailoring, bookmaking, shoemaking, and basket weaving—and how to find a market to sell their products.
They serve everyone, from people with physical disabilities to those who are blind or deaf. As they told us, “We make sure when [people with disabilities] exit, they will make it out there.” If you ever go on a mission trip with us, you’ll get to visit this market and purchase some of these handmade products yourself!
While the tides are slowly changing for people with disabilities in Africa, there’s still a lot of work to do. If you have a heart for children with disabilities, your support could help with their treatment and rehabilitation. You get to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities in Africa when you join the care team of one of the children in our Family and Disability Program. Your support will cover surgery costs, medications and therapies, specialized and custom assistive devices, and education for the parents. Change a life today by joining a care team for a child with disabilities.
