2023 ANNUAL REPORT — Songambele

A Message From The Executive Director

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of you for your unwavering support this year! Together we have achieved remarkable milestones and we could not have accomplished this without having you on this journey.

CONGRATULATIONS !!

Our very own volunteer peer supporter, Lilian Muno, was one of only 20 young adults selected to be a 2023 Tanzania UN Youth Fellow! Lilian attended the program’s 5-day National Education Assessment Workshop where she shared in team building activities, and learned about the UNAs & UN systems, the decision-making process at the UN, and critical thinking.

Our Programs

HOME VISITS

We believe that by reaching out to individuals in rural communities and providing them with the necessary support they need, we can help to improve their quality of life and build a more inclusive society.

This year we were able to visit some of the rural parts of Kilimanjaro including; Himo, Miwaleni and Kilema, Narumu Machame, and Kibosho Kirima. In each of these areas, we were able to provide wheelchairs to those who needed them the most.

HOSPITAL VISITS

Hospital visits are a crucial component of our organization’s effectiveness. Our peer trainers guide and teach patients various life skills that will help them after sustaining a spinal cord injury or becoming disabled. They also seek to empower patients by sharing their life experiences after disability.

Care and assistance continue even after they leave the hospital. The volunteer visits them at home to assess their living conditions, determine the best ways to improve those environments based on individual needs and the specific circumstances of their locations, and monitor their progress.

ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY AWARENESS

Advocacy and awareness events serve to help build a more inclusive society, eliminate stereotypes, and educate the community about the challenges individuals face and the resources available to them. One of the many Songambele events attended in 2023 is The Kili Marathon, with 12,500 attendees from 50 different countries. International Women’s Day Including Songambele delivers a speech about inclusion. Gender-Based Violence Awareness in Kind Kati Over 150 villagers were in attendance at World Down Syndrome Day 2023 An awareness march of more than 300 people from Moshi town. Sure, Menstrual Health and Hygiene for Women and Girls with Disabilities Awareness. Our Peer Education Coordinator participated in a show at Fountain Radio. Gender-Based Violence (GBV) for People with Disabilities Awareness meeting in Matindigani with 110 attendees, both parents and children.

SAFEGUARDING TRAINING

16 participants learned about spinal cord injury and ways to prevent it, as well as safeguarding policies and proper ways to report any suspected hazards in the workplace.

HEALTH SYMPOSIUM FOR INPATIENTS

Together with KCMC Hospital, 12 current spinal cord injured patients were given the opportunity to interact with other individuals who, by sharing their own spinal cord injury journey, provided the patients with encouragement and hope.

THE SPINAL CORD AWARENESS MOVEMENT

“Access to SCI Services, a life less complicated” Planned and organized by Songambele with support from the Government together with other NGOs in the area, participants marched from Moshi Municipality offices towards the Hindu Mandal.

OUR WHEELS - THE WHEELCHAIR PROJECT

The Moving Forward Project aims to provide custom-made wheelchairs for those in need. Songambele is working with partners to provide wheelchairs made locally, from local materials, which are adapted by trained therapists to the client's needs.

In a dedicated alliance with our partners, Songambele works tirelessly to bring forth a world where individuals with disabilities can acquire wheelchairs that adhere to World Health Organization (WHO) standards. By promoting the production, manufacturing, and provision of these essential devices, we aim to unlock new realms of mobility and liberation. Embracing the right fit, these wheelchairs empower users, elevating their self-esteem and confidence, while opening doors to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.

PROVISION OF ASSISTIVE DEVICES

The main reason for providing a wheelchair is to help the recipient gain mobility and independence. Through this assistive device, the beneficiary is able to enhance their freedom, engage in various activities, and reduce reliance on others. This year we enjoyed two separate occasions to present wheelchairs to our beneficiaries. The first took place at the Songambele Initiative Organization where three beneficiaries were given wheelchairs. The second presentation occurred at KCMC Hospital. The beneficiary has been unable to walk since getting into an accident five years ago. Until receiving the wheelchair, he had no way to move from one place to another.

COMMEMORATION OF THE 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AND ADVOCACY

During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, our organization engaged in a multifaceted approach to raise awareness and advocate against GBV, including the use of art expression and expanding our presence into new schools.

ART

Through collaborative art projects, we encouraged survivors and supporters to share their experiences and perspectives, fostering a sense of solidarity and empowerment.

SCHOOL VISITS

We introduced our organization to five new schools in the Machame Eastward.

Monitoring and Evaluation

At the Songambele Initiative, our work does not end after we have identified and assisted beneficiaries. We continue to follow up with those we have supported and continue to offer assistance where we can. In these follow-up visits, we check in with our beneficiaries to see how their lives have improved.

Theodatus’ Story

At age 3 Theodatus caught a high fever and after a series of injections, his legs and arms began to get weak and with time lost complete function. He was able to only sit on the ground and crawl to get to places.

He could not enroll in school or go out to play with others and not having an appropriate assistive device was a death blow to his life. We were able to bring new hope by providing him with an

appropriate wheelchair, with this wheelchair Theodatus’s mother says it will be a great help for her because she will never have to carry him, and also, he will be able to go out to play with his friends as well as to go to school. This wheelchair brought a smile toTheodatus’ face.

Theodatus says, because of this wheelchair, ‘’I am independent and free to go everywhere.

Nasra’s Story

Nasra was born a healthy baby, by age 8 she was diagnosed with a tumor on her spinal cord that made her unable to walk. Her mother had to carry her to get places, she had to quit working to look after Nasra alone as the husband left them upon Nasra getting sick.

As Nasra continued to grow her mother’s worries grew too as she started to experience back pain as a result of carrying Nasra all day. She was worried that eventually, Nasra would have to stay inside as she could not afford a wheelchair. Luckily through our hospital visits, we were able to meet Nasra and we Identified her need, she was provided with a well-fitted wheelchair designed specifically for her.

Her mother’s face was lit up with joy and relief now she can hope for her daughter and can see her live an independent life with no limits. Nasra enrolled in school and she has been at her happiest.

Capacity Building

CONFERENCES, PROGRAMS, MEETINGS, SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS.

Conferences offer a valuable and unique opportunity to gather with like-minded individuals and various organizations. They provide the ideal platform for networking, sharing ideas, exploring possible partnerships, and learning vital information. Programs, meetings, seminars, and workshops also allow for the chance to build relationships, offer input and feedback, and discover what is new or yet to come. Songambele understands all of this and makes it a priority to take advantage of these resources.

Here are just a few of the many capacity-building events Songambele attended in 2023:The African Spinal Cord Injury Network (AFSCIN) Conference (Kenyatta University in Nairobi)

The African Summit on Inclusive Early Childhood Care and Education (IECCE) (Nairobi, Kenya)

Rwanda Segal Family Annual Conference (Kigali, Rwanda) Capacity Building and Self-Care Workshop for New Members of the Women Coalition Youth Development Program Trauma Competent Training Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Meeting

The "Going Beyond Co-Design” Workshop is designed to help foster inclusivity promote entrepreneurship and improve access to job opportunities for people with disabilities and other diverse groups.

KILIMANJARO ANNUAL NGO FORUM

It was the forum that took place at Moshi where different NGO’s attended and presented their activities. Songambele got an opportunity to present our works in the presence of the Regional Commissioner of Kilimanjaro. It was a forum that enabled Songambele to continue to partner and network with other and different NGO’s. As well as to be known around Moshi and outside because there are a lot of people from different areas and places outside Kilimanjaro attended the meeting.

SONGAMBELE 2023 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)

Our fourth annual general meeting was attended by various stakeholders including representatives from the government, private organizations, and the Makuyuni Ward Police. Also in attendance were primary school teachers, children with disabilities, and their parents. The Guests of Honor were the Welfare Officer of Moshi Municipality and the Special Education Officer of Moshi Rural District.

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