1. Programme Identification Details:
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GTF Number |
88 |
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Short Title of Programme |
Enfranchising People With Disabilities to exercise their constitutional right to vote and facilitating their inclusion in governance systems. |
|
Name of Lead Institution |
National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped (NASCOH) |
|
Start date |
12/11/2008 |
|
End date |
09/11/2013 |
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Brief Summary of Programme: |
A five year programme seeking to secure the inclusion of people with disabilities (PWDs) in Zimbabwe’s governance systems through their participation in all elections, run for local and parliamentary elections in their respective constituencies, advocating for polling stations accessibility to people with disabilities (PWDs) and are able to vote secretly and independently. The programme aims at ensuring proportional representation of PWDs in parliament and other decision making bodies, a quota system in employment, lobby for the creation of a disability ministry, enactment and implementation of conducive disability legislation by the government. At the moment most PWDs do not vote, and are apprehensive about the indignity of being assisted by a stranger.
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List all countries where activities have taken place in the past (i.e. where activities are not currently taking place) |
N/A |
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List all countries where activities have taken or will take place |
Zimbabwe
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List all countries where activities are planned for the future (but where there are no activities currently) |
N/A |
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Target groups and wider beneficiaries |
Over a hundred thousand people with disabilities in Zimbabwe are expected to benefit from this programme
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Person who prepared this report |
Fambaineni Innocent Magweva Disability Technical Advisor NASCOH 93 Greendale Avenue, Greendale Harare Zimbabwe Tel +263 4 496201 or +263 776 291 4449 Email. oakwoodmining@gmail.com |
2. List of Acronyms
COPAC Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee
CSOs Civil Society Organisations
DFID (UK Government) Department for International Development
DWSO Disabled Women Support Organisation
DPOs Disabled People’s Organizations
GTF Governance and Transparency Fund
IFES International Foundation for Electoral Systems
JJA Jairos Jiri Association
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MOV Means of Verification
MP Member of Parliament
NCA National Consultative Assembly
NASCOH National Association of Societies for Care of the Handicapped
NGOs Non- Governmental Organizations
PWDs People with Disabilities
USAID United States Agency for International Development
ZAVH Zimbabwe Association of Visually Impaired
ZEC Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
ZESN Zimbabwe Election Support Network
ZILGA Zimbabwe Local Government Association
ZIMNAD Zimbabwe National Association of the Deaf
ZIMNAMH Zimbabwe National Association for Mental Health
ZNLB Zimbabwe National League of the Blind
ZPHCA Zimbabwe Parents of Handicapped Children Association
3. Activities and Achievements (max. 3 pages)
The fifth annual report covers activities during the period from March 1 April 2012 to 31 March, 2013 and most activities under the period under review were meant to consolidate the gains of the past four years and to prepare for a smooth exit in the programme areas. Some of the activities carried out were meant to complete most significant and major aspects of the programme and hence sustainability of key programme activities in the fourteen districts after the programme funding period.
The five year programme on “Enfranchising People with Disabilities (PWDs) to exercise their constitutional right to vote and facilitating their inclusion in governance systems” intends to achieve the following by the end of the funding period;
a) Strengthened member organizations which are responsive to the needs of people with disabilities and a strong and vibrant disability movement which is able to make the government responsive and accountable to the needs of people with disabilities.
b) Produce disability friendly legislation including the national constitution, national disability policy and Acts of parliament which have direct bearing on the lives of people with disabilities, especially those dealing with issues of accessibility.
c) To have at least 400 election observers with disabilities who will monitor all coming national and local elections
d) For people with disabilities to be able to vote in local and national elections
e) For people with disabilities to be appointed to positions of authority, elected or nominated as Councillors, Members of Parliament.
f) Government departments, Councils & Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) provide PWDs with material and support services
3.1 Programme Activities and Achievements
Major programme activities during the period under review were;
a) Voter education
b) Preparation for the participation of PWDs in local and National elections
c) Participation and Lobbying for the amendment and adaptation of legislation which promotes and protect the rights of PWDs
d) Capacity building of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs)
e) Lobbying for the inclusion of disability in district activities.
f) Participating in the National referendum
The section below looks at each of these activities in detail.
a) Voter education
Voter education targeting PWDs and their families continued in the seven districts of Umzingwane, Zaka, Mudzi, Bindura, Chegutu, Goromonzi and Mutare rural, with the assistance of District Elections Officers (DEOs) from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC). A total of forty thousand (40 000) people with disabilities received voter education, bringing the total to over fifty thousand people with disabilities who have received voter education since the inception of the programme.
b) Preparation for the participation of PWDs in local and National elections
The programme also engaged the Registrar General’s district offices who issued birth certificates and national Identity documents to five hundred and twenty one (521) people with disabilities in the new districts. Voter registration campaigns also continued in the new districts. While NASCOH and its partners took advantage of the Registrar General office’s mobile registration unit to register more people with disabilities, the late disbursement of funds from UKaid affected the exercise negatively. More people could have been registered if funds were availed in time. By the close of the financial year, one thousand one hundred (1100) people with disabilities were registered as voters.
The distribution of assistive devices including wheelchairs, catheters, crutches and urine bags also continued in the seven districts bringing total beneficiaries to one thousand nine hundred people with disabilities.
The weekly radio programme ‘Seka urema wafa’ (sponsored by the programme) which profiles disability issues and concerns was on the air every week for the 52 weeks of the year. The live phone-in radio programme, which is aired on ‘National FM’ every Saturday from 6.30pm to 7.00pm, focuses on cross cutting disability issues that impinge on the participation of people with disabilities in all spheres of life, including issues of inclusion in the country’s governance systems.
c) Participation in the finalization of the Zimbabwe national constitution
The National Association of Societies for Care of the Handicapped
(NASCOH) and its partners participated in the second All Stakeholders’ conference on the finalisation of the national constitution by the Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee (COPAC). Some of the aspects presented by NASCOH and its partners in the position paper on disability were included in the final constitution
d) Lobbying for the amendment and adaptation legislation which promotes and protect the rights of PWDs
NASCOH continued to lobby the Minister of Labour and Social Services to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which provides a road map for the inclusion of disability in all areas of human endeavour. By the close of the financial year the UNCRPD had sailed through both parliament and the senate, now NASCOH and its partners are hopeful that the Zimbabwe government will sign and ratify the UNCRPD before the end of 2013. The Electoral Act now clearly stipulates disability participation in national and local elections.
e) Capacity building of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs)
The period under review saw the completion of six weeks training in governance and disability by twenty one focal persons with disabilities from seven districts. In addition, all wards in the seven districts established ward disability committees. NASCOH with additional support from USAID provided training and assisted fifteen DPOs with drawing up of plans and manuals in the areas of strategic planning, financial management, human resource management, programme management and resources mobilisation. The capacity building consolidated efforts of the GTF programme.
f) Lobbying for the inclusion of disability in districts activities.
Disability sensitization of key stakeholders at district levels also continued in the seven districts. Chief among these was engagement of , seven rural district councils, other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) funded by USAID and HIVOs, churches, business persons, community leaders such as councillors, chiefs, headmen, village heads and families of people with disabilities and political parties to include a sizeable number of people with disabilities, in their activities. NASCOH also trained personnel from HIVOs funded organisations on disability inclusion and mainstreaming. In order to ensure disability representation and inclusion of people with disabilities (PWDs) in all council activities, NASCOH and its partners lobbied for the introduction of special interest councillors with disabilities in the seven districts and by the close the financial year, five of the seven district councils had passed resolutions on the nomination of councillors with disabilities bringing the total of nominated councillors with disabilities to 20 since the inception of the programme. These nominated councillors now await the official appointment from the Minister of Local government.
g) Participating in the National referendum
While a number of the aspects on disability which NASCOH and its partners presented to COPAC were not captured in the final constitution, NASCOH and its partners campaigned for a “YES” vote during the referendum. NASCOH realised that the inclusion of disability was a good starting point and hopes to lobby for the amendment of the disability sections in the constitution to include all disability aspects contained in the position paper.
4. Programme Management
No change since last report.
5. Working with implementing partners
No change since last report.
6. Risk Assessment
Risk Assessment Table
|
Risk |
Potential impact |
Probability |
Mitigation measures |
| Risk 1.Political Uncertainty |
Medium- there are widening differences in the inclusive government. |
Medium |
Working with all political parties in the inclusive government |
| Risk 2. Early elections |
High -The country is still aligning the old legislation to the new constitution |
Medium |
Lobbying together with other civil society organisations for elections to be held when the old legislation is in line with the new constitutionRisk 3 Violent elections
High- the national media is still loaded with hate speech and most PWDs might not participate in a violent environment
Medium
Civil society organisations (CSOs) continue to lobby the principals of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), the facilitator President Zuma and SADC
7. M & E Arrangements
There have not been any significant changes, to the M & E arrangements and M&E personnel, resources and activities continued to be assigned during the period according to the specifications of the Inception Report.
8. Log frame Changes
No changes have been made to our log frame
9. Summary of Most Significant Results Analyses Annex 5 (max. 2 pages)
This section articulates the most significant results achieved by the programme and synthesises lessons learned. See Annex 5
10. Progress towards sustainability
The programme has improved the capacities of both NASCOH and the sub grantees, which is demonstrated by the ability of the sub grantees to lobby and engage rural district councils and the ability of NASCOH to lobby ZEC, Urban Councils and major funders like USAID, IFES, and HIVOS for the inclusion of PWDs. The capacities of NASCOH and its partners have improved greatly. NASCOH coordinated programmes during the period under review and fifteen DPOs were assisted by NASCOH to draw up strategic plans, human resources, financial and resource mobilisation manuals with assistance from consultants hired by NASCOH.
The programme has built the capacity of sub grantees for advocacy on the rights of PWDs. In all the areas the sub grantees had taken action to ensure inclusion of PWDs. A major impact was the setting up of 403 disability and advocacy committees at ward level in which PWDs now have a structure for articulating their needs and making input into development programmes. In all the project sites there are examples of sub grantees taking action to influence local authorities and service providers.
Local authorities in some districts such as Umzingwane and Chegutu organise the commemoration of the disability day on their costs while communities in districts like Mutoko and Mudzi organise the commemoration of disability day with resources from their communities. All local authorities in the programme areas have indicated their willingness to include a budget line for PWDs in the next financial year, which is another important step in mainstreaming disability. It is envisaged that all local authorities in all the programme areas will have budgets for PWDs and continue to provide services even after the GTF programme has ended.
The setting up of Disability Ward Committees in all programme areas and the incorporation of a representative of PWDs from the Disability Committees into the Ward Development Committees ensures that the views of PWDs are heard at ward development meetings and is an effective way of mainstreaming disability into development. The Ward Disability Committees which have received training on lobbying, advocacy and disability rights from sub grantees continued lobbying local leaders such as councillors, chiefs and schools development committees for inclusion of PWDs in all spheres of the community. The presence of special interest councillors in all the programme districts also strengthened the disability committees. This demonstrates that the disability committees will continue to function after the expiry of the GTF programme. The involvement of community leaders, MPs, councillors, political parties and business people in the programme has enhanced its sustainability. Politicians want numbers and PWDs provide a niche for candidates who want to win elections.
In addition to the inclusion of disability in the ZEC’s five year strategic plan ZEC developed voter education material targeting PWDs. This is a clear sign that ZEC will continue with voter education to PWDs after the end of the funding period. The alterations to polling booths and polling stations to allow easier access by PWDs, increase in the number of polling stations to accommodate PWDs, preparing ballot papers in Braille will increase the sustainability of the programme.
NASCOH has continued to collaborate and network with other organisations such as the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), Zimbabwe Local Government Association (ZILGA) through meetings and information sharing workshops. NASCOH is a key partner in ZESN’s country strategy on elections and sits on the ZESN board and cluster on election observation. During the period under review NASCOH deployed 15 election observers with disability for hurried referendum under the ZESN consortium.
ZEC, which has increased its understanding of disability through disability trainings, has also increased its capacity to extend electoral rights to PWDs as evidenced by the formulation of a memorandum of understanding with NASCOH. Government has also demonstrated its commitment to disability inclusion by taking steps towards the signing and ratification of the UNCRPD and including disability in the new constitution.
Disability sensitisation workshops by NASCOH to the media concretize the partnerships with the press and keeps the press focused on disability issues. Through media advocacy and strategic highlighting of pertinent disability issues in the press, NASCOH has now been able to put disability on the agenda of the press resulting in both the public and independent press focusing on marginalisation and inclusion issues of PWDs. Even publications which have little space for social issues, like the Daily News and NewsDay, and serious financial papers like the Financial Gazette, and Zimbabwe Independent, which previously eschewed coverage of disability issues, continue to routinely publish human rights issues on disability.
11. Value for Money
This section articulates the economy, efficiency, effectiveness, equity and socio-economic aspects of the programme. First, the cost of inputs in the first seven districts of the programme was higher than in the second seven districts. Cognisant of the fact that lack of capacity is the major impediment that prevents PWDs from spearheading their inclusion in society, NASCOH started by building the capacities of the partners before rolling out the programme hence programme costs were higher in the first two years. In comparison inputs in the second round of districts were carried out at a shorter period and lesser budgets. While there were less significant links between expenditure and programme activities in the first year of the programme, it is pleasing to note that the programme witnessed involvement of partners in budgeting cost controlling measures hence bringing cost and field efficiency and effectiveness.
While the GTF programme was implemented in fourteen districts in the eight of the ten provinces, NASCOH brought some programme aspects to all the provinces, cutting across all ethnic groups with women with disabilities being 52% of the beneficiaries of voter education, acquisition of identity documents and assistive devices. However men with disabilities dominated in nomination as councillors. Hundreds of children with disabilities (925) acquired birth certificates while thousands (2339) of adults with disabilities acquired identity cards under this programme and children of school going age were placed in schools. The target group of the programme were people with disability, one of the most vulnerable groups and the programme made a huge socio-economic and positive impact on this group. Over one thousand nine hundred (1922) PWDs benefitted from disability assistive devices, 327 PWDs got employed in both formal and informal sectors and a huge number of PWDs were introduced to services provided by the government (4575) and CSOs (1219). With all these successes scored by the GTF programme it is clear that there was value for money in the programme
Guidelines for Annexes to your Annual Report
Annex A1 – Achievement Rating Scale
Annex A2 – Most up-to-date Approved Programme Logframe
Annex A3 – Annual Financial Report
Annex A4 – Material produced during reporting period
Annex A5 – Most Significant Results Analyses
Annex A6 – Annual Work Plan for following year
Annex A7 – Local Partners List
Annex A8 – Contacts List
Annex B1 – Detailed Programme Budget for all project years
Annex B2 – Politically Sensitive Information
Annex C1 – Any Outstanding Issues
Annex B2 – Sensitive Information
None
Annex C1 – Any Outstanding Issues from previous reports
No outstanding issues