In a powerful display of compassion and community support, the Compassion Connectors in Tanzania recently embarked on their first impactful activity, focusing on women with disabilities. This initiative highlighted both the barriers and the strengths of these women.
During the outreach, Kassim Abdul, a Compassion Connector, engaged with women who have faced significant challenges in their lives. Many such women routinely encounter discrimination and lack support within their communities. As a result, a large number are left without the means to secure essential daily necessities such as food.
The visit by Kassim demonstrated the many skills and gifts these women can offer others. They shared their talents and aspirations. One woman revealed her ability to sew clothes in beautiful styles, another spoke of her skill in weaving hats, veils, and mats, and a third highlighted her expertise as a seamstress in modern fashion.
The stories Kassim encountered were both inspiring and heart-breaking. He was moved by the realization that these women possess valuable skills that have been overlooked and undervalued simply because of their disabilities. Yet, they face significant barriers to accessing the tools and resources needed to turn their talents into an income that can help them. The women’s inability to purchase essential equipment for tailoring and weaving further emphasizes the gap between their skills and their opportunities. Kassim’s appeal to the community is a call for collective action and compassion, urging people to come together to provide these women with the resources and support they need.
Kassim is now also seeking to collaborate with others to bring about meaningful change for mothers with disabilities in his community. He believes that with the right support, these women could showcase their own individual skills and use them to support themselves and their families.
This initiative by the Compassion Connectors Tanzania not only highlights the resilience and creativity of women with disabilities but also calls for a broader societal shift towards access and support. It serves as a powerful example of how compassion can drive meaningful change and improve lives.
Evans Ijakaa is a Digital Journalist and National Coordinator of Compassion Connectors Kenya.