Introduction

Twatasha Disabled and Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s Organization (TDOVC) is a Non-Governmental Organization, non-partisan and non-profit making community-based organisation that is located in Kafue District 45 Km South-West of Lusaka City in the Lusaka Province of Zambia. The Organization was founded in 2009 but officially registered with the Registrar of Societies in 2012. The organization was founded by local community members that had experienced the impact of disability and resulting vulnerabilities, who desired to support children with disabilities and other orphans and vulnerable children with access to inclusive education, health promotion and physiotherapy and other community based social interventions such as psychosocial support, child protection and disability rights.

Twatasha Community School

Twatasha Community School is a community initiative based in Kafue District that provides inclusive education to children with disabilities and other vulnerable children from local communities by building resilient livelihoods through education, social integration and skills development. Twatasha Community school is a community initiative registered under Twatasha Disabled and Orphans and Vulnerable Children Organization.

Legal Status

Twatasha Organization is registered with the Registrar of Societies/Local Authority and its registration number is: 131,. It was registered in 2012, and its Societies Registration number is ORS/102/80/250, registered under Act no 6 of 2012 Disability Rights to ZAPD certificate number P/0284 and ministry of community development receipt no 67872 dated 28th march 2014. The Organization is running a Special Unit Community Primary and Secondary School.

Target Population

Children and Young People aged 0 to 35 years, particularly:

Children with disabilities

Orphaned Children

Children from single parenting homes

Children from child headed households

Persons with Disabilities are the single largest marginalized group among vulnerable populations. They face challenges in accessing basic necessities and services such as Health, Education, Social and Economic Opportunities. In Kafue District, the closure of the state enterprises in the middle 1990s has negatively impacted the social-economic wellbeing of the historically industrial town. Specifically, the fall of jobs and economic opportunities has significantly reduced the delivery of quality health and education services. The effect of this situation among persons with disabilities especially, children, cannot be over emphasized.

In the Education sector, most government managed schools have inappropriate infrastructure and lack support systems such as school based personal assistants, special needs teachers and disability friendly teaching aids. This situation has disproportionately affected learners with disabilities. This is also affirmed in the National Disability Survey of 2015, which showed that, only 60% of eligible school children with disabilities were in school compared to about 83% of children without disabilities.

In 2008, the Ministry of Education through the District Education Board Secretary Office adopted all the 150 learners with disabilities from Twatasha Community School and enrolled them in mainstream government primary schools in Kafue District. However, before the fall of 2009, 90 percent of the learners adopted dropped out of school. Our preliminary findings showed that the government schools lacked an enabling environment to promote the inclusion and retention of learners with disabilities.

With this finding, Twatasha Disabled and OVC Organization was re-established to provide inclusive education to children with disabilities and other Orphaned and Vulnerable Children in Kafue District.

With the support of the local community, Twatasha Community School was built in 2012 and resourced to provide education to learners with disability and other vulnerable children.

To create opportunities with which children with disabilities and other vulnerable children will realize their full potential by providing inclusive education, physiotherapy, capacity building, skills development and advocacy.

Mission Statement

To create an enabling environment through which children with disabilities and other vulnerable children will realize their full potential by building partnerships and networking, capacity building, resource mobilization, skills development and training, advocacy through a Child Centered approach.

Values & Principles

• Inclusion
• Empathy
• Sustainability
• Accountability and Transparency

Our Objectives

Overall Objective

The overall objective of Twatasha Disabled and OVC Organization is to improve the quality of life of children with disabilities and other vulnerable children.

Specific Objectives

Our specific objectives include:

1. Promoting inclusive education
2. Improving the rehabilitation outcomes of children with disabilities​.
3. To promote Community Based Rehabilitation in communities and among Stakeholders.
4. To promote disability rights and inclusion.
5. To cultivate a culture of volunteerism among community members to support children with disabilities and other vulnerable children.

Rationale

The initiative was created upon the realization of the existing gap characterized by lack of access to basic services such as education, health and other social and economic opportunities among children with disabilities and other orphans and vulnerable children in Kafue. The initiative was founded by persons that had personal experience of the challenges of disability, poverty and had overcome the vices through resilience, participation and self-advocacy.

Vision Statement

A society where children with disabilities and other vulnerable children receive equal opportunities to develop and thrive in social and economic lives..

Empowerment

We are commited to empowering the lives of the disadvantaged.Children have so much to offer to the world - we believe in the power that they hold, and know that they will mold future generations to come. At Twatasha Disabled and OVC Organisation, we are here to give them the support they need in order to shape them into leaders of the future. We have a number of educational programs and leadership initiatives that help nurture our youth and help them develop the skills they will carry throughout their lives.

Approaches

Twatasha Organisation promotes community participation/engagement and ownership or project/programmes by ensuring that community capacity is built on use of untapped resources and appreciating good management of available renewable resources. Twatasha has a strong working partnership with the local communities and its entry point into the community includes the church, school, traditional leaders among others. Partnership with existing structures and organizations including Government ministries such as Community Development, mother and child health, ministry of health, ministry of education, and ministry of housing and local government, church leaders and NGOs

Our Partners

• Cheshire Homes Society of Zambia
• Zambia Federation of the Disabled
• Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities
• CBR Africa Network

Stakeholders

The organization has strategically targeted key stakeholders to support our work and programmes. As an organization, we believe in a symbiotic relationship of mutual respect and benefit. The following are some of the strategic stakeholders that work with the organization:

• District Education Board Secretary
• District Health Office
• District Social Welfare Office
• District Community Development Officea
• Kafue Town Council
• Organizations for Persons with Disabilities
• Religious and Traditional Leaders
• Civic and Community Leader

Our Board Members

Our Staff

The Board of Advisors is the highest decision-making organ of the organization and provides strategic governance and leadership in the organization. The Board of Advisors consists of Seven Board Members, including members with disabilities. The Executive function is headed by the Executive Director, who is supported by a team of technical professionals of Programme Manager, Finance Manager, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager as per Organization Chart below:

• The organization has its own land on which Twatasha Community School was built on Plot No. F12/Flash Burt Zambia Compound
• Since 2012, the School has been operating a Special Unit (Community Primary School) from Nursery to Grade Eleven, for both Children with Disabilities and other Vulnerable Children
• The school has provided inclusive education to 750 children (250 are children with disabilities)
• Currently Providing a boarding housing to 25 children with disabilities and other vulnerable children
• We have provided education support to 120 children with disabilities and other vulnerable children
• Provided support to 1500 children with disabilities in form of free physiotherapy, free inclusive education, specialist care referrals, psychosocial support, and assistive devices​.
• Successfully graduated 105 children with disabilities after rehabilitation program​.
• Facilitated the registration of 1500 Persons with Disabilities in line with the Disability Act of 2012, prescribing the registration of all persons with disabilities with the Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
• Advocated for the installation of disability accessible infrastructure such as the Ramp in public institutions like Schools, Banks, Local Authority Offices in Kafue Districts
• Delivered capacity building to more than 1000 key stakeholders, volunteers, persons with disabilities, parents and community leaders.
• The organization was recognized to seat on the District Development Coordination Committee and District Welfare Assistance Committee.
• Successfully organized and coordinated the commemoration of International Day for Persons with Disabilities every 3rd December.
• The organization has formed four parent groups, one fathers group, youth advocacy group and three child to child support groups.

Despite the successes the organization has scored over the years, we face challenges resulting from the overwhelming response and demand for our services in the community. As such our resources have limited our capacity to meet the growing needs and expectations of our communities. In the quest to address this challenge, the organization has continued to cultivate value driven, like-minded partnerships and alliances to tap into the expertise and resources.

There is however, a huge opportunity to meet the challenges above. Below are some opportunities available to enhance and improve the existing programmes:

• Growing demand from our communities
• Fewer organizations providing support to Children with Disabilities and their families
• Availability of networking opportunities among key stakeholders and service providers
• Local ownership and community trust in the organization