“I didn’t believe in myself, but my life has changed for good.”

Sokuluhle Mhlanga, 28, is a woman with a disability living in Bulawyo, Zimbabwe. Since participating in transformative leadership training run by Women’s Action Group (WAG), Sokuluhle has the confidence to speak out. Sokuluhle has mobilised and trained other women with disabilities in her community to recognise and claim their rights and is proudly part of the district COVID-19 taskforce, representing people with disabilities.

“Low self-esteem was the problem for me. I had fear in me coupled with my disability, I didn’t have the courage to stand in front of people and speak out on issues affecting me as a young woman with disabilities. This made me bear the pain seeing fellow women with disabilities not speaking out on issues affecting them for a long time. I didn’t believe in myself but the training has changed my life for good. I went on to discover that I can make it in life, and I am now a confident person.

Facilitating at WAG’s cascading trainings has helped me a lot. I can lead and I can speak out as a young woman with disability.  After the training I realised that I can do anything in life.  I then mobilised and trained fellow women with disabilities in my own community on transformative leadership. I have noticed an increase in knowledge among the women that I have trained. They are now aware of their rights as equal citizens and they are reporting issues of gender-based violence, water problems and other issues affecting them to the relevant authorities in our community.

I am also happy to inform you that I managed to get a position in the district COVID-19 taskforce, representing persons with disabilities. My role is to cascade information on COVID-19 from the taskforce to persons with disabilities. I am also advocating for COVID-19 information to be inclusive, for example, the information should be accessible in braille and sign language to accommodate those with visual and hearing impairments. I have also managed to partner with organisations working in the rural areas so that they can disseminate information to PWDs in rural areas.  There is an organisation that wanted trainer of trainers on gender-based violence and I managed to be part of the trainers.

The confidence that I acquired from the WAG trainings has helped me to achieve more. In other words, the project has opened opportunities for me and wonders are just following me. I would like to thank WAG for this life changing opportunity and I hope the project will reach out and change the lives of many women in communities.”