Disacare’s Inception According to its Initiator, Dr. Felix Silwimba

DOB 22 July 1964

Contracted polio at the age of 2 years

“The idea evolved slowly, having grown up with a disability as a result of early childhood infection. While studying medicine at the University of Zambia, I learnt that:

polio in Africa affected mostly children below the age of five;
epidemics occurred in the late 50s through to the late 70s;
the parents of most of the affected children were professionals (e.g. pastors, primary school teachers, local business people) and not necessarily very poor.
With these facts in mind, I thought of the following:

In the late 90s most polio persons will be in their 20s – 30s, hence requiring employment and opportunities, as well as the responsibilities of raising a family;
Most young persons with polio paralysis had been to special schools and vocational training centres, where they had acquired valuable skills in areas such as tailoring, metal fabrication, accountancy etc.;
The parents of polio victims were retiring from employment and could not afford to support them forever. Such parents could have established a trust fund on behalf of their polio victim children, to safeguard their future financial interests, but this alternative has not been tried.
In 1989 I started by establishing the University of Zambia Association of Handicapped Students. The same year I had an opportunity to meet Kalle Konkkola of Threshold Finland, with whom we discussed a lot of issues on disability in Zambia and the global initiatives.

In 1990 I had the opportunity to attend a one-day Independent Living meeting in Finland, where I met the late Friday Mabvusto of the Self-Help Association of Parapalegics (SHAP) in South Africa. I was very impressed with his video show on the activities of his disability organisation. After having seen this, I said to myself that Zambia cannot be left behind.”

After then-medical student Felix Silwimba was invited to Finland to attend a United Nations Conference on Disability (the same trip that brought him into contact with Mabvusto), he was encouraged to return to Zambia and formulate possible programmes for the disabled. At that time, disability organisations in Zambia mainly focussed on government lobbying. Silwimba and with his friend David Mukwasa were eager to look at disabilities issues with a different approach, called ‘Independent Living’, and to provide mobility aids for people with disabilities. Encouraging people with disabilities to formulate small business enterprises and thereby generate incomes was the foundation of their plans.

<explain the concept of Independent Living>

To this end, Silwimba and Mukwasa took to the streets of Lusaka in search of people with disabilities. Some of these people used the streets as their home; others were involved in vending or were marketeers. The pair explained their proposal to establish small business enterprises to the people they found, and in mid 1990 some of those first people helped formed LUDISEP, the Lusaka Urban Disabled Self-Help Development Project.

At the outset, the group’s main task was campaigning to raise awareness of its activities and plans. Several potential income-generating programmes were identified that could use skills already held by members of LUDISEP, including carpentry and jewellery making. During this time, Dr Silwimba and David Mukwasa also maintained their dream of producing wheelchairs.

This new and innovative project did meet with hostility from some established disability organisations. The Zambia Council for the Handicapped and the Zambia National Association for the Physically Handicapped (ZNAPH) had, up to this point, acted as the umbrella organisations for people with physical disabilities. The two organizations viewed LUDISEP as a splinter group. The LUDISEP Committee made every effort to explain their position and how their aims differed from those of the umbrella organisations. While the Zambia Council for the Handicapped and ZNAPH concentrated on disability rights and government campaigns, LUDISEP promoted the practicalities of Independent Living. Despite many efforts to placate the fears of these organisations and to encourage a united approach to addressing needs for people with disabilities, ZNAPH blocked the registration of LUDISEP with the Ministry of Labour and Social Services [in what month and year?].

The wrangle between LUDISEP and the other disability organisations raged on for some time. Numerous ‘peace talks’ with the Commissioner for the Handicapped failed to find a resolution. In desperation, and making the best possible use of his family connections, David Mukwasa managed to secure an appointment with the then-president of the Republic of Zambia, Dr Kenneth Kaunda. <place picture near> The purpose of this meeting was to inform the president of LUDISEP’s projects and goals, and to seek his support.

Representatives from the LUDISEP Committee met with President Kaunda in December 1990, in what turned out to be a most fruitful meeting. The president seemed suitably impressed by the entreaties of the group and he expressed a strong desire to support the project. He ordered the immediate registration of LUDISEP with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. He also pledged a government vehicle for the project, land for the development of the small scale businesses, an office for the LUDISEP Committee to work from, five houses in Chilenje for LUDISEP committee members, and K300,000 as start up funds for the project.

While waiting for this meeting with the President, Dr Felix Silwimba and David Mukwasa had also been busy identifying other potential supporters and donors. Given their existing links with Finland, the pair decided to explore the possibility of linking up with disability organisations and donors in Finland. They succeeded in attracting interest from the Finnish Disabled People’s International Development Association (FIDIDA). At this stage LUDISEP was still very much in its infancy and was still struggling to get programmes off the ground. This lack of tangible progress was of concern to FIDIDA. Their pledges of support were put on hold and they encouraged LUDISEP to put in place the ground work required for the project to start. Between January and June 1991

Progress was greatly assisted by the contributions made by Ugandan Reverend Mungezi, and Mrs Archie Hinchcliffe (wife of the then British High Commissioner to Zambia). They recognised the need for some sort of workshop for the project and in 1991 secured the use of a garage from a Lusaka tobacco company called Lukanga Tobacco Company. The reverend had an idea of setting up workshop to make tricycles. When he heard about the team he introduced himself to Dr. Silwimba, but since he was a “refugee” he disappeared. And since the team had no money nor tools to start work they approached Mr. Chanda, a bicycle repairer who came and worked with the project, teaching them skills that would later be used in the repairing of wheelchairs.

Mrs Hinchcliffe, a qualified physiotherapist, was already playing an active role in the treatment of cerebral palsy children. She was also looking to develop projects that were able to produce assistive and mobility aids. A paper technology group (APTERS) was started to produce mobility aids for children with cerebral palsy using recycled paper and cardboard, and it was clear that LUDISEP would be able to compliment this if they proceeded with their plans to produce wheelchairs.

From their first workshop, the LUDISEP workshop staff developed their skills by repairing shopping trolleys. Their enthusiasm and desire to learn and succeed was visible. This approach soon attracted the attention of a number of outside agencies and individuals. The shop’s first wheelchair repair job was for the University Teaching Hospital. Using wheelchair parts donated by Mrs. Esther Droez, wife of the former diplomat at the Netherlands Embassy, the LUDISEP project repaired ten wheelchairs.

The FIDIDA co-ordinator Tuija Halmari, was impressed with their efforts enough to approve K119, 000 of funding from Finnish Volunteer Service specifically to the LUDISEP metal workshop for the purchase of equipment and machinery.

Their efforts also convinced Netherlands Embassy to fulfil another pledge for support: K450,000 that was used to purchase equipment. This initial funding was followed by a pledge of financial support for the LUDISEP project for a five year period. One provision of this donation was that LUDISEP should identify a person qualified to use the machinery they now had in their workshop. So, it was at this point between January and March 1991 that Mr Kenny Mubuyaeta, trained with a diploma in metal fabrication, was invited to join the project.

While the LUDISEP Committee was developing the metal workshop, however, there was disquiet amongst some of the committee members. The sudden and positive response from donors was thought to be a ‘pot of gold’ and there was belief that money was not going to be available to give to members. The LUDISEP founders, anxious to keep the project together, explained that the donors were in fact donating funds for equipment, materials and machinery, and that income could only be secured by the efforts of those who worked on the jobs brought into the workshop. Whilst the LUDUSEP Committee had gone some way to develop the other enterprises they had identified, it was clear that it was the metal workshop that was succeeding. Unable to quell the disquiet and demands for money, Dr Silwimba, Mr Mukwasa and Mr Mubuyaeta proposed to leave the LUDISEP Committee and concentrate on the metal workshop, unlinking it from the other LUDISEP programmes. In October 1991 the metal workshop was separated from the other LUDISEP programmes and and on 10th October 1991 Disacare was registered as Disacare Enterprises with the Ministry of Commerce. The newly independent workshop would officially promote independent living for disabled people by empowering them with mobility and making them economically self-sufficient. The separation effectively brought about the demise of the LUDISEP Committee. [Apters also survived the detachment from Ludisep, Yes]

At the same time, another Finnish disability group, Invalidiliitto, learned of the LUDISEP project and expressed interest in offering support. In order to assess the mobility needs in Zambia, they employed Dr Silwimba to carry out research across Zambia and write the Needs Analysis of Technical Aids for the Physcially Disabled in Zambia. Having gathered information and identified stakeholders (people with disabilities, disability associations, manufacturers of orthopaedic aids, government representatives and sponsors), Dr Silwimba proposed that all parties should meet to plan the future and to develop a programme for the production of mobility aids in Zambia.

In September 1991 the identified stakeholders met in Lusaka to attend a two-week seminar funded by FIDIDA. The seminar concluded that an organisation should be set up to be responsible for co-ordinating the development and production of technical mobility aids in Zambia. This organisation became known as Technical Mobility Aids for the Disabled in Zambia.

Due to the nature of the work undertaken by Disacare, and its clear link to the proposed work of TMAC [Technical Mobility Aids Committee for the Disabled in Zambia ??], they were offered support by Invalidiliitto. This support came in the form of a Finnish volunteer, Markku Ripatti, who came to Zambia in 1992 to work with the TMAC group and Disacare. Invalidiliitto also brought in a container of 200+ used wheelchairs, hundreds of crutches and walkers, and a load of spare parts. Disacare was given the task of repairing these and selling them to support the workshop.

Due to the level of interest and support that Disacare had attracted, a Support Group for the company was spearheaded by Mrs Archie Hinchcliffe at the end of 1991. The first task for the group was to find accommodation for the Disacare staff, who were having to rely on the goodwill of friends and family. Equally, the Disacare staff were finding that they had outgrown their garage work and that there was a need to find bigger premises to work from. The need for a new Disacare home was clear.

With the help of the Support Group, Disacare moved to their second workshop in 1992. This workshop was based at the Makeni Ecumenical Centre, and was to be home for Disacare for the next four years. It was here that the staff switched its focus from trolleys to repairing donated, second-hand wheelchairs. The Disacare staff worked with representatives of the British High Commission, the Dutch Embassy, FIDIDA, and Kehitysyhteistyön Palvelukeskus (KEPA) to develop their production capacity. To assist in the development of the workshop, Mr Mukwasa was also sent for business enterprise training with the International Labour Organisation.

It was clear to those involved in Disacare that the organisation had great potential. However, realizing this potential required new facilities, and the reclamation of land that had been donated to LUDISEP in 1990 by the first President of Zambia Dr Kenneth Kaunda. The founders of Disacare were more than instrumental in this donation, and in 1992 began a long fight to claim the land for Disacare. The fight battle was won eventually by Disacare, and Disacare had room to build its own workshop. Again the Support Group got to work and identified a range of donors to support and fund this project. FIDIDA once again offered assistance, along with the Lusaka Rotary Club, the Beit Trust, and the Irish Embassy.

While fundraising was being done, Dr Silwimba was busy pursuing one of the founding aims of the organisation. He, along with Mr Mukwasa, still believed that the future of mobility provision for people with disabilities lay in the production of wheelchairs in Zambia, not just repair. With this in mind, Dr. Silwimba travelled to Canada and met with Ralf Hotchkiss, a wheelchair engineer with the Mobility Centre (which later became Whirlwind International) based in San Francisco.

Dr. Silwimba had read about Hotchkiss and knew that the Mobility Centre had already worked in the third world to develop a wheelchair designed for countries like Zambia. Their designs were based on the need for a much more durable wheelchair that would be able to withstand the terrain found in developing countries.

During this visit to Canada, Dr Silwimba was able to arrange a training programme in wheelchair manufacture for Zambia, and in August 1993 the Disacare staff received their first training, sponsored by Invalidiliitto. What was produced was a wheelchair design called the Kavuluvulu (Whirlwind), that was equipped to withstand Zambia’s terrain and be durable for years. The very first wheelchair made by Disacare is still in use by Mr. Mukwasa, the Director of Disacare.

Soon after in 1994, Mrs Hinchcliffe left Zambia. She had probably been the most influential person in the development of cerebral palsy assistive device provision in the country, and she was a leader in Disacare’s Support Group. The incoming High Commissioners’ wife, Elizabeth Nixon, took up the mantle and continued the work started by Mrs Hinchcliffe.

While the Support Group had been extremely successful in assisting in the development of Disacare, it was felt that there was a need to bring in more Zambian members. Among the new members was Ms Lucie Kasanga, former Electoral Commissioner, who is now the Chairperson of the Disacare Board of Trustees (which replaced the Support Group).

The work on the new workshop for Disacare was progressing at this time, but problems lay ahead that would delay construction. Funds allocated to Disacare were handed over to one of the representatives (a Rotarian) of the Support Group, who in turn decided to deposit them into his own bank account in the UK. It took over a year to bring this matter to an end and to get the money returned to Disacare. This delayed building at Disacare, and it was not until June 1995 that work was able to start again.

On April 12th 1996 the Disacare Wheelchair Centre was finally opened by Mrs Helen Matanda, the former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services. With the help of the Beit Trust, Disacare has since been able to construct three blocks of flats, VIP toilets and the extension of the workshop.

Support for Disacare continued from a variety of sources, including Revalidate Hulp (Netherlands), and funded equipment purchases for the workshop. In 1996 project funding from Invalidiliitto finished, though they continued their links with Disacare through their sports programme. Funding for the purchase of capital purchases, such as equipment for the workshop and computers, has continued and has been necessary. However, in real terms Disacare is seen as a success story by those involved in its development. It remains one of the most successful small business enterprises in mobility aids production run by and for people with disabilities in Zambia and Africa at large.

The confidence felt from the ability of Disacare to run a successful organisation, producing some of the best quality wheelchairs in the region, has lead Whirlwind Wheelchairs International of the USA to select Disacare to be the Regional Resource Training Centre for East / Southern Africa. Training activities have been made possible through funding from Invalidiliitto. To date, staff from Disacare have travelled to four other countries within the region to assist in wheelchair training. In the year 2000, Disacare hosted its first regional training programme at their own workshop. Whirlwind Wheelchairs International led the training, assisted by Disacare staff. A total of eight people from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia completed the training programme. Trainings such as these promote the involvement of more people with disabilities in the design, manufacturing, management, and service delivery of mobility devices. Thus, they enable people with disabilities in the region to gain employment through skills training and to enhance access to mobility.

<Transition into this blurb I found, and update blurb>

As Disacare approaches the next millennium the need to diversify in order to ensure financial stability is driving their move to provide garden services (such as work done for Barclays Bank – Kafue House); the production and fitting of burglar bars and gates, sculpturing, carpentry and tailoring. Whilst these various small business ventures are seen as a way of supporting the centre, the founding aim of Disacare remains. An active marketing programme and an ongoing effort to link with various donor agencies and organisations, reflects the fact that Disacare continues to see the provision of mobility aids as their priority. This action is being supported by the placement of a volunteer from Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). Two volunteers have worked with the staff of Disacare to help build capacity and develop administration.

Make descriptions from items found in this time-line?

1996 Disacare Business Seminar, Lusaka + The begin of it’s impart to society. The seminar brought together persons with physical disabilities who desired to to venture into business, they were trained in business skills how to manage a small business.

1997 WWI wheelchair experts´ visited Disacare and introduced a Africa I model of the wheelchair and made jigs for it.

Disacare Basketball Training Course was arranged by Disacare and sponsored by Invalidiliitto who sponsored Lauri Louhivuori to come to Lusaka and conduct the course and Disacare Sport Club was established at the end of the training a trip to Zimbabwe was taken to expose the newly formed Wheelchair Basketball Team.

1998 attended 2nd Wheelchiar Congress in Limuru Nairobi Kenya. The congress brought together African wheelchair manufacturers, designers from USA and Europe.

The Regionnal Resource Training Centre (RRTC) was established in the year 2000. The RRTC was agreed upon during the congress in Kenya and enabled African trainees to come to place and be trained by WWI experts instead of them going round Africa.

In August 2003 Disacare hosted 3 rd African Wheelchair Congress in Lusaka. At the end of the congress it was resolved that the congress shall be called Pan African Wheelchair Congress, and Pan African Wheelchair Builders Association (PAWBA was formed and interim committee was appointed chaired by Disacare.

In 2004 Motivation UK introduced tricycle making at Disacare.