Supporting people With Disabilities

In Tanzania and across the world stereotypes, prejudice, and stigma contribute to the discrimination and exclusion experienced by people with disabilities and their families in all aspects of their lives. The Maasai community for example believes that the disability is a curse and as a result, when a family discovers they have a child with a disability, sometimes they end up killing the child because they fear the stigma of the community.  This misconception about the cause of disabilities often results from cultural beliefs. Disability is often blamed on: misdeeds of ancestors, misdeeds of parents, supernatural forces such as demons/spirits; witchcraft; or punishment or fate from God. Simanjiro is a Maasai district in Manyara region with a population of nearly 200,000 people. The recent statistics show that there are nearly 700 people with disabilities in a district (SHIVYATA). In Simanjiro, the challenge that people with disability face hasn’t received a deserving attention from stakeholders compared to other subjects such as education, gender and health. As a result, stigma and discrimination to this group continued to prevail. TACCEI aims to fill this gap and create a community in which PWDs have access to economy, social needs and decision making. Contact us now to learn more on how you can take part in our PWDs program.