By Alfred Zacharia
At least 120 people with disabilities in Zanzibar can deposit and borrow money through their 20 financial groups established through KIJALUBA iSAVE project implemented by the Tanzania Women Journalists Association-Zanzibar (TAMWA ZNZ).
Under the support of Zanzibar Federation of Disabled People Organization (SHIJUWAZA) and the Norwegian Association of Disabled (NAD), the project will see people with disabilities in Southern Zanzibar Region generating their own incomes and lessening on the burden to their families.
With 30 members per group, both men and women have been empowered to start and run various entrepreneurial activities include producing and selling soap and algae oil regardless of their physical conditions.
TAMWA-ZNZ Assistant Project Officer Khairat Haji said the project has provided a range of training to the groups with the aim of empowering people with disabilities to know their rights and tackle various barriers they face in societies.
Haji highlighted that beneficiaries have been trained on how to invest and borrow in their groups, the importance of savings, how to utilize the loans, and proper ways of running their businesses in accordance to their circumstances.
"The project is successful, though It wasn’t easy to change the mindsets of the people with disabilities from begging in streets and to start generating their own incomes," Khayrat said.
The economic empowerment officer of the KIJALUBA iSAVE project, Muhidin Ramadan Muhidin said the groups will be registered under the Cooperative Department so that they can operate, legally.
"We register the groups so that they can open bank accounts and store their money for safety," Muhudin explained.
Chairman of the Fellowship Group TUTAMBUWANE, Ramadan Haji, said the project has helped people with disabilities solve various challenges they face, include affording education and medical expenses for themselves and their families.
