Enabling peaceful environment for persons with disabilities

As I am walking through Bwerenga village, I hear someone trying to murmur behind me. She is trying to communicate through talk. I hear the passer-by villagers call her Eseza as they send some gestures to her. It is a challenging moment for me as I try to understand Eseza’s plea. She is crying and using actions to tell me something. I am a bit lost but I try to understand the actions. She is trying to say that she is hungry. I walk to a nearby shop and buy her some bananas. She smiles and thank me for my actions then happily eats her bananas. Eseza is deaf. Eseza is trying to demonstrate her agony. Together we walk to the field where she then sits to watch a village football match. Later she waves and walks away.

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics indicates that 4.5 million people in Uganda live with disabilities. The covid 19 pandemic has also led to a rise in disabilities as children suffered malnutrition that of late is still causing death.

Persons with disability in Uganda need their voices amplified just like anyone else. They are a group that needs special attention because they are vulnerable. They have issues to be addressed to promote peace and security among them and in society.

Solutions to the communication barrier.

Emmanuel Jjuko the proprietor of the Deaf Development Foundation says that the main aim of the organisation is to enable the deaf to get training in sign language so that they can express themselves.

“Communication solves a lot of problems during the conflict,” he says.

He adds that so far the successful ones that have learnt sign language are also teaching other members of the community thus bridging the sign language communication gap.

“Here DDF after successfully acquiring the sign language communication skill will be able to voice out and fight for their rights. This will enable acquiring and promoting peace and security amongst them and between them and the rest of the society,” Emmanuel confirms.

He mentions a situation where several deaf girls were being sexually abused instead of being rescued by people pausing to be volunteers, “This is one of the most terrible reports I have ever got!” Emmanuel exclaims.

“It is from here that I thought that there was an urgent need to empower persons with disability if we are to promptly promote peace and security in our country.”

Limitations are found as SDG goals are pushed.

Emmanuel goes on to add that while working to enable persons with disability enjoy their rights to achieving peace and security, there are several limitations to the goal inclusive of the following:

The communities where these people stay tend to neglect them. As Eseza demonstrated to me earlier, she expressed anger as she touched her stomach and showed a sad face. Several persons with disability are ignored by the community. The community doesn’t understand the gestures at times. In some instances, they even end up as victims of mob justice.

Emmanuel goes on further to mention that they hardly have a social life as they are exempted from activities like sports, outings, watching TV and many others. “Man is a social animal, normally where there is no socialisation their violence,” he adds. This causes them to become destructive in society resulting from boredom and feeling rejected.

Furthermore, he goes on to say that even the education system is not user-friendly for persons with disability in Uganda. The schools do not have the right curriculum for persons with disability and yet their confidence would be boosted if they studied mixed up with other people. Much as the constitution calls for proper gadgets, buildings and other facilities included in public schools in Uganda, this has not been implemented.

Therefore one finds that disabled members of society will not get the education benefit rendering them useless in society, they end up jobless and many times end up stealing from others and other crimes thus causing insecurity in communities.

Else were in Bwebajja-Akright is woman sports leader Irankunda Fortunate. Fortunate is the founder of Whales Academy. She is involving persons with disability in Tug Rugby sport. “I aim to promote inclusiveness and equity. I want to give persons with disability love, hope and peace,” she says.

Fortunate started as a tag rugby player with the whale’s rugby league academy where she recruited people with special needs in her sports class. 2017 was the year when she managed to move east, north and west and central Uganda introducing the inclusive game, 3 years down the road she had her deaf community accept their involvement in sports ‘ Tag rugby in particular.” She is teaching them how to coach the game, manage their clubs and officiate too.

2In 019 one of the deaf coaches, Nkundizana Laurent who is now a rugby league Systems manager and gives them all that happens in Kisoro for rugby and also a counsellor LC3 for People with disabilities in Kisoro town council, was the best referee at a tournament for hearing people. “As time went on, she like they were now confident enough to run their team which promoted her to start an association for them (Uganda Deaf Rugby Association).”

UDRA supported them to register it under Uganda sports Federation for the Deaf. “I was confident that they can play with us and later make their national team with my support,” she says. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen as Covid distanced them from each other; 2 years away meant they go back to zero and start again. Still with the whale’s program, Let the girl play outreach 2022, focused on bringing deaf girls into the game of rugby league using tag rugby pathway. Successful outreach in Mityana with Julian Memorial School for the deaf gave them hope again and 30 girls were introduced to the game.” The game is roosting communication. Even those that are deaf learn sign language. “Tag rugby brings about the association, joy hope and peace!” Fortunate exclaims.

Fortunate has recently launched the code of rugby ‘ Rugby League and with its inclusiveness, she believes that deaf people can play and adventure in the sports.

These entertainment activities greatly contribute to building a confident personality in persons with disabilities. They are also able to communicate with non-disabled persons.

“Through sports, I am bridging the communication gap, Irankunda says.

“When this gap is closed it will be easy to understand the pwds through communicating thus drawing to solutions,” she continues.

“Through this way, we will be achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals on peace and security,” she says.

Mavis Nankabirwa was born with disability. However, she had love and support from her parents. They took her to an ordinary school where every child went. With maximum support from her teachers and friends, she lived in a happy environment and, thus excelled in school.

She is in the LC3 Lusanja Kiteezi parish, Wakiso district. Mavis describes herself as excellent aggressive and a good public speaker even though she was born with a disability. She is living her dream of representing people. As a child, she had always wanted to be a peace advocate in society.

“Being a counsellor has helped me to pass service delivery to my people through forming groups where they can grow together and work together.”
Mavis says she has seen her project curb down domestic violence in society compared to when women are not engaged. She says that the reports she gets from the community are quite encouraging and that she is pleased to announce that persons with disabilities in her area are engaged and safe.

This is helping women not to sit back and relax and wait for men to give them everything “It is empowering women.” She adds. “This also helps to reduce fighting at home, it stops insecurity at home,” Mavis emphasises.

There is the national policy document for persons with disabilities.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is one of the UN bodies that specifically advocates for human rights for persons with disabilities and also works with different organisations to enhance sustainable development Goals of which peace and security are among. UNCRPD, also promotes, protects and ensures the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all disabled persons.

In conclusion, if there is the inclusiveness of persons with disability, there will be equity and this will enhance worldwide peace and security.

This story is part of the African Women in Media (AWiM) Peace and Security Journalism Programme in partnership with UNESCO, through the IPDC framework.