Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe

Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe (LCDZ) (formerly known as Leonard Cheshire Homes Zimbabwe) is a non-profit organization registered in Zimbabwe working for and with children and youths with disabilities.

Background

LCDZ started operating in Zimbabwe in 1981 as Leonard Cheshire Homes Zimbabwe and is a member of the Leonard Cheshire Disability Global Alliance which operates in 54 countries. Leonard Cheshire services were started in 1948 by a British World War II veteran Group Captain Lord Leonard Cheshire of Woodhall-UK. Realising that the needs of disabled people were not being met he started establishing homes for disabled people in the UK. His idea later on saw the establishment of homes for disabled people across the globe which became known as Cheshire Homes.

In Zimbabwe Leonard Cheshire was started by an Irish Catholic Priest who got the idea from his experience in the UK. At the inception two residential homes, one for adults and the other for children with disabilities were established where they were housed on a temporary basis pending their rehabilitation. Following the global change in approach to disability from institutionalization to a rights based approach, in 2008 LCDZ made a decision to wind up all residential facilities and to apply its resources to non-residential and outreach programmes focusing on children and youths.

Aims

LCDZ aims to

promote Inclusive Education through facilitating enrolment of children and youths with disabilities into mainstream schools,
facilitate children and youths with disabilities to access health and rehabilitation services, victim-friendly justice system and sexual reproductive health and HIV services,
facilitate people with disabilities to earn their own living through skills training and job placements,
establish transitory homes for people with disabilities and
Collaborate and work with any other organizations which share the same objectives.

Vision/Goal

A society in which every person with a disability can enjoy their rights and have the opportunity to fulfill their potential.

Mission

To enable persons with disabilities to improve their quality of life and to campaign for the removal of the barriers which hinder them’.

Mandate

To facilitate equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities’.

Core Values

Integrity
Accountability
Transparency
Respect

Awards

ZERO project award Austria, 2015: Exemplary in the areas of innovation, impact, chances of long-term growth and success, and scalability, Inclusive school systems rolled-out in Zimbabwe is outstanding in providing a practical solution to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Health and Rehabilitation

Physiotherapy Unit-Residential Care Centre In a holistic approach that encompasses direct assistance and community integration the programme works with children between 2 and 12 years of age and focuses on physiotherapy, skills for daily living training and facilitates corrective surgery. Generally, the programme strives to enable children living with disabilities.

Child Protection and Access to Justice Programme

A UNICEF funded programme that seeks to provide a standby response team comprising of experts in the area of disability. The standby support team consists of (sign language interpreters, braille experts etc) from 36 disability service organizations that assist the Victim Friendly, Civil and Criminal Courts stakeholders.

Advocacy and Campaigns

The Young Voices Programme targets youths with disabilities between the ages of 16 to 25. The programme seeks to build capacities of youths with disabilities to influence positive policy change that is geared towards their inclusion in mainstream culture, social and economic activities in Zimbabwe, which they have been often

Inclusive Education (IE)

This programme aimed at increasing the enrolment of children with disabilities in mainstream primary schools. The programme was rolled out following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture in 2009 to implement a three-year pilot Inclusive Education Programme.