Power Mozambique

Maputo, Mozambique
In Partnership with Power International

Power Mozambique is a charity registered in Mozambique, working together with people with disabilities, identifying and meeting their needs, to enable them to fully participate in society on an equal basis.

Between 1995 and 2003 Power Mozambique refurbished, re-equipped and ran four clinics in Mozambique treating amputees and people who needed limb support devices. Since then the organisation has restored over 10,000 people to mobility in the country.

In 2002, with funding from the EU and the Big Lottery Fund, Power Mozambique began working in partnership with other disability organisations in Mozambique. The organisation provided 13 of these with management and fundraising training, to build their capacity to create lasting change for people with disabilities.

Voices project

The Big Lottery Fund has provided funds for a project of radio clubsfor disabled people throughout Mozambique. This spreads information about disability on national and local radio; pressurises authorities to make changes in the law and provides meeting places for disabled people to help each other and share experiences; Provided with micro grants, the clubs enable their members to access funds to kick start small business enterprises thus addressing basic income needs.

The clubs are in 5 of the 10 provinces, there are now 21 clubs operating, with about 30 people in each club. There have been notable, and practical, changes in attitudes in Mozambique towards people with disabilities as a consequence.

This project builds on previous work with 15 disabled people’s organisations to build their capacity, and produce with them, a National Plan of Disability which was signed by the government in April 2006. The voices project addresses a number of that plan’s priorities.

Acrideme project

The next phase of Power Mozambique’s work is specifically with children with intellectual disabilities (and their families) and their access to education issues. This work is implemented through a local partner, a disabled people’s organisation called ACRIDEME (parents and friends of children with intellectual disabilities).

Power Mozambique Case Study: Not all talk! The story of Muajama

Muajama David is 31 years old and was born with a disability in Nampula, Mozambique. Her father died when she was very small and her mother in 2007.

Muajama attended school up to Grade 8 but had to leave in 2000 because she became pregnant. Her family wanted to keep her close to protect her, so opposed her move to another district to live with the father of her child. He eventually married someone else and took Muajama’s daughter to live with him and his new wife. The daughter is now 9 years old and has returned to live with her mother.

NEW VOICE

In 2005 Muajama was invited by her friend, Mario Acacio, to join the POWER International radio club - RC Progresso. This radio club devises and broadcasts its own programmes about disability issues. Muajama was soon taking a leadership role and found radio was a very powerful way to communicate and bring about change.

NEW LIFE

The members of the radio club were delighted that their radio club was awarded a grant of $1.200 to also run income–generating activities. Many people with disabilities find it extremely difficult to find any employment and often live in extreme poverty.

The group ran a small general goods and groceries shop and after 6 months had a profit of $360 which they then split between them to start individual businesses. Muajama began a business making a weekly profit of $3.70. This small amount makes a huge difference to Muajama.

Now she can pay for her food, hospital treatment and books for school – not only for her daughter but also herself as she has returned to school. She wants to open a bank account so she is saving her profits for this; she needs $19 and already has $14 towards it.

Power International

POWER International, is currently operating in Mozambique, Zambia and Laos. Working with local partners, its work enables people with disabilities to improve their lives in different ways through:

helping to make health-care, education and employment more accessible
capacity-building of local organisations of people with disabilities
training and grants to begin small businesses to develop financial health
farm-development so that people with disabilities can grow food to feed their families and generate income
education to promote parent-craft and sexual health
assistance with mobility needs

POWER International first came to Mozambique and Laos in 1995 to help develop their nationwide prosthetics and orthotics services. The success of this led to an understanding that mobility is but the first step on the road to total rehabilitation and equality. It does not, of itself, lead to education, employment and access to health - those most basic of human rights.

By listening to the voices of people with disabilities POWER International came to know what is needed and then work with them, local organisations and their governments to enable people with disabilities bring about the desperately needed change to improve their lives.

To find out more about Power International's amazing work please click here