Tunatazama - Community Monitors

Children with disability truly suffer in my community

Bongani Dladla

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder that affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. It is caused by abnormal brain development which affects the person’s ability to maintain their muscles.
In Thulani Snake-Park Soweto, there are more than 20 children born with cerebral palsy every year, This is because their community is surrounded by a Toxic tailing mining dump that contains radioactive chemicals like radon gas.

If a pregnant woman is exposed to radiation it flows into her bloodstream and exposes her fetus to radiation. When they breathe in radioactive materials causes them to give birth to children with mental deformities, cerebral palsy, and miscarriages.
This community is one of the marginalized communities with many children who are born with cerebral Palsy, Their parents are unemployed and can’t access proper health care and education for their children. Mostly low-income Black women who have kids with this condition have stress and depression, this situation forces them to stay indoors and take care of their kids. They can’t even take them to school for children with disabilities because most of these institutions don’t admit a child who wears a Nappy.

Lindiwe Zwane Mother of three Children said is truly hard for her son to go and play with other children because he can’t walk and talk properly So most of the time he stays in their house, Because she can’t afford to buy a wheelchair For her son so that he can be able to move around and play with other children. So it is Truly hard for her also because she can’t go and look for a job because there is no one to look out for her child When she’s not around.

The government must intervene in this matter every child deserves to get an education they must create bursaries for children living with disabilities. According to our constitution, every child has the right to free education.

BAugust.jpg