The Sunday Mail
Tafadzwa Kadani
“If we are to achieve a richer culture, we must weave one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place.” — Margaret Meade.Children living with autism and schizophrenia have for long been labelled as mapenzi/inhlanya (the insane), consequently relegating them to the periphery. These so-called mapenzi/inhlanya are people living with different disabilities ranging from autism, epilepsy, Down’s Syndrome and schizophrenia, to mention but a few. Yet this is not insanity, such people are simply
intellectually challenged. They grasp information at a slower rate than the ordinary person.
Tapiwa Dhoro is a student at Homefields Centre, a school for the children who suffer from numerous disabilities which include epilepsy, autism and cerebral palsy, among others.
The young lad is slowly becoming a master in the art of pottery, something that most people cannot do.
Born with a defect on his left hand, Tapiwa is one of the many children who could have easily told himself that he could not do anything and drown in self-pity.
People living with such disabilities do not need criticism, rather what they need is patience in teaching them. Although it may take longer, surely they do learn.
There is a misconception that children living with such conditions cannot do anything productive. Children are an important aspect in life as they bring joy and laughter into families, and they in turn deserve the future that they anticipate or hope for. Some children that have these disabilities have been victims of rejection and bullying in schools or their communities.
Homefields Centre superintendent, Mrs Janet Maguduru, said their school is a safe haven for children living with such disabilities.
“Here at our school, we take care of these children and empower them with life skills which help them in their day-to-day lives so that they can take care of themselves,” said Mrs Maguduru.
Homefields Centre was founded by a group of parents in 1964 upon realising that it was hard to enrol children with disabilities in conventional schools.
The school started with 14 students (eight boys and six girls) but its enrolment has grown to a staggering 93 students, thereby proving its important role in the lives of these children.
The challenges that the students have differ with their disabilities. Some of them need simulation classes as they cannot indulge in any practical activities done at the centre.
One would be tempted to picture a sombre scenario where these children are a serious burden to the teachers but a visit to the Homefields Centre changes all this.
Currently, the institution has eight running income-generating projects that include poultry, coffin manufacturing, pottery, horticulture and animal husbandry, among others.
Surprisingly, the institution functions very well with minimal staff.
Said Mrs Maguduru, “The students are very good at the practical lessons we give them, different companies actually give us contracts for poultry, coffins and vegetables which the students do themselves.”
However, some parents have abandoned their children at the institution and sadly these children don’t have any place to call home, Homefields is now their permanent residence.
One of the care-givers, Mrs Gertrude Chaleka, said Homefields is a safe haven as they have orphans from right across the country.
“We have some of our children here, who are orphans, and some have relatives abroad but they have been abandoned here. These children now have a family here, we wish all children could have the chance to access these education facilities,” said Mrs Chaleka.
The challenge now is to integrate these children into society and get them jobs that could actually earn them a living.
An occupational therapist from the University of Zimbabwe, Mr Pascal Ndowa, said the children have the potential to work just like any normal person or even better.
“Many people underestimate these children but they can actually be employed and work in different jobs without anyone noticing their disability,” he said.
Mrs Maguduru said it is their vision to have these children work and earn themselves some money for their personal upkeep.
“Our vision is to have our students get jobs in what they are being trained to do. When some industries were still functional, we used to have some of our students employed there but unfortunately with the economic situation, things have changed,” she said.
Not only is Homefields a school for the young, they also take care of the elderly who grew up there. Some of the oldest people at the institution are in their early 70s, meaning they have been there for most of their lives.
Funding is one of the most critical element for Homefields as they need money to pay the workers and renovate the place every now and then. Most of the furniture at the institution is dilapidated and needs to be changed. However, some companies have come forward to support them.
