Experience from the studio
“The ability to initiate and lead new conversations is thrilling,” Vambe said. He described bringing experience from his programmes into a drafting process led primarily by disabled people. Through the Mkundi Foundation, which he established, he also worked on rights awareness among young people and families. [1]
A wider demand for participation
Earlier in 2024, the Federation of Organizations of Disabled People of Zimbabwe’s Leonard Marange had called for deliberate inclusion in national development reviews. At the same consultation, Melissa Tariro Chiri of the Chitungwiza Deaf Community urged state institutions to provide sign-language interpreters, including in health and education. [2]
Practical changes for elections
The Zimbabwe Gender Commission’s report on the 2023 elections recommended stronger collection of disability-disaggregated electoral data. It also called for consistent priority services for disabled voters and other groups, more information in local languages and timely accreditation of civil-society organisations involved in voter education.