Interview: Tinotenda Mudarikwa of Zimbabwe

People With Disabilities Organizing, Krip-Hop Newest Chapter

Interview by Leroy Moore

Leroy Moore: Tell me more about your recent event and why you organized it?

Tino Mudarikwa: Our recent event was a joint commemoration of Rare Diseases Day, International Wheelchair Day and World Birth Defects Day.

We chose to do this commemoration with the most impoverished group of people with various disabilities from our oldest suburb in our town.

We managed to provide a decent meal to everyone who attended.

Leroy: What did you do at the event and how are you going to build on it?

Tino Mudarikwa: What we did at event was to gather persons with various disabilities and reminded them that they are not cursed or bewitched. We also had the medical students present on spina befida, cerebral palsy and other forms of Rare Diseases.

We plan to increase the number of Zimbabwe Medical Students Association to work with us and attend to needs of our beneficiaries medical

Leroy: What does the government do for people with disabilities in zimbabwe?

Tino Mudarikwa: The government doesn't do much, I last heard the social welfare ministry gave money equivalent to $7.00

Leroy: Have there been protests against the government for more services and to raise the benefit from $7 to more?

Tino Mudarikwa: People are scared to protest they can be arrested for protesting. It happens in many African countries!

Leroy: What wow! Are there disability laws there?

Tino Mudarikwa: There is a Disability Bill that is waiting for the President's signature.

Leroy: What’s your future work and where does the new Krip-Hop chapter come in to the future of people with disabilities in Zimbabwe?

And did Zimbabwe sign the United Nations Treaty on Disability, The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD)?

Tino Mudarikwa: This is not what is on the ground right now. Persons with disabilities are marginalized in Zimbabwe.

Leroy: So how can Krip-Hop Nation can help?

Tino Mudarikwa: We think that our involvement with Krip-Hop Nation and establishing Krip-Hop Nation Zimbabwe Chapter will be a game changer for musicians with disabilities in Zimbabwe. We will have a platform where we can showcase talent, where we can publish our work online as musicians with disabilities. So it is crucial that we open up Krip-Hop Nation Zimbabwe Chapter.

I also think that having a Krip-Hop Nation Zimbabwe Chapter would give opportunity to networking with other persons with disabilities from other countries, specifically from South Africa our neighbor. If we are to work and connect with South Africa, we will learn a lot from what they've been doing as a chapter. Networking is something we look forward to and hopefully get some support from our networks and have exchange programs in the arts and music to be specific.