By Tommy Shikwambani
A Limpopo-based non-profit organisation (NPO) is marking Human Rights Month by hosting motivational talks and donating essential items to the disabled.
So far, Disability Dream Campaign (DDC) has donated sanitary pads to the needy in the various communities of the province and is pleading with individuals and organisations that can, to assist the NPO with funding to enable it to effectively run its campaigns.
Founder and director Moloko Mokoele (24), who is from Bochum (Bowlust Village), told ThisAbility that although DDC’s plans include empowering people with disabilities and to boost their self-esteem, their campaigns are not limited to the disabled.
“We go to various areas in Limpopo where we visit families of people with disability, to offer support, counselling and motivation,” she said.
Mokoele says her disability by amputation after a car accident in 2002 when she was four, motivated her to start the organisation. “Some of the challenges we disabled people encounter include having low self-esteem, lack of confidence, being discriminated, self-isolation, hiding our nature of disabilities to try to fit in and not accepting ourselves the way we are.”
DDC was founded in 2019 with a team of five young people with the mission to help create an environment where disabled people are treated fairly and have equal opportunities to participate in society.
The NPO is eager to join in and be part of organisations that participate in a variety of events hosted by the government, private companies and civic organisations to observe March as Human Rights Month.
They would like to donate wheelchairs, educational resources and other essential items to people with disabilities, however, with no funding it will be impossible to achieve those goals.
DDC coordinator Molahlegi Semenya says more needs to be done to influence society to get educated about people with disabilities.
“We are going to do as much as we can with our campaigns to create the world that views disability, not as a hindrance but as unique attributes that can be seen as powerful assets if given the right opportunities,” he said.
Semenya says DDC wants the world to know that disability rights are human rights, so that people with disabilities are not discriminated against.
Those who can assist DDC with donations can reach out to the organisation via its Facebook page Disability Dream Campaign or WhatsApp them on 082 312 2231.
