Disabled Girl in Binga Gets First Toilet — Grandmother Says “They Gave Us Back Our Dignity”

BINGA – A 13-year-old girl with cerebral palsy in rural Binga has gained safe access to a toilet for the first time, thanks to an inclusive sanitation facility built by the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society under the Climate Smart Resilience Project.

Supported by the Finnish and Danish Red Cross, the initiative aims to improve hygiene and restore dignity for people with disabilities.

Bwime Siyamwaka, who is unable to walk or speak, previously crawled into the bush to relieve herself, often returning with ant bites and bruises from the harsh terrain.

Her grandmother, Ester Siyamwaka, who cares for her full-time, said the new toilet has brought comfort and respect to their lives.

“They built a toilet that she can use safely. Every time I see it, I feel joy in my heart,” Ester said, her face lighting up.

District field officer Spiwe Sibanda said the project targeted households where disabled individuals lacked access to proper sanitation.

“We saw how people with disabilities were suffering without proper toilets.

“Some had never used one in their lives. That is why we built inclusive toilets — in homes, schools, even clinics, so no one would be left behind,” Sibanda said.

Bwime communicates through soft sounds only her grandmother understands, guiding Ester as she gently moves her around the yard using a cracked plastic dish.

“She does not speak like other children. But I understand every sound she makes.

“I listen with my heart — that is the only language we have ever known,” Ester said, her voice low but firm.

The family lives in a cluster of stick-and-mud huts surrounded by dry plains and brittle shrubs.

With many men gone to fishing camps along the Zambezi River or mines in Hwange, women are left to care for children and the elderly.

Water is fetched from boreholes two kilometres away, and firewood is collected at dawn before the heat becomes unbearable.

Ester’s daughter, Thembiso, works as a housemaid in Bulawayo and sends about US$20 a month to support the family.

“The money my daughter sends feeds us for maybe three days. After that, we survive on prayers and the mercy of those who remember us,” Ester said.

As Bwime matures, Ester faces new challenges.

There are no health workers nearby trained to support girls with disabilities, and no access to menstrual products or sexual and reproductive health education.

“I do not even know what to do when she starts her period.

“There is no one to teach me, and I am afraid of doing the wrong thing,” Ester admitted, her voice trembling.

According to UNICEF, one in three girls with disabilities in rural Zimbabwe lacks access to SRHR information or hygiene facilities.

In Siansundu, that statistic is a lived reality.

During a media tour led by Red Cross communications officer Phyllis Mbanje, community members welcomed journalists with songs and smiles.

Children ran barefoot, chasing dust devils, while women sang in Tonga: “Takwepe, takwepe — when the suffering of climate change and hunger will end.”

Despite the hardship, Ester finds joy in small moments with Bwime.

“She loves the sound of goats bleating and children laughing. When visitors come, she hums and squeals — that is her way of saying she is happy.

“I call those our little songs. No one else understands them but me,” Ester said, chuckling

The Herald previously reported on the Red Cross’s broader efforts in Binga, including piped water installations, grinding mills, and fowl runs for income generation.

Sibanda said the goal is to ensure “no one is left behind.”

However, Ester said her caregiving duties prevent her from participating in community training.

“I cannot leave her alone to attend. My work is here with her. She depends on me for everything,” she said.

She added, “Before Red Cross came, she was living like an animal. Now she can go with privacy. That means everything.”

The family’s most urgent need remains a wheelchair.

The plastic dish Ester uses is worn and often catches on stones, jolting Bwime’s fragile body.

“I want a wheelchair for her. Even a small one. Just so she can sit up and feel the wind on her face,” Ester said.

Veld fires pose an additional threat.

The huts, made of sticks and grass, ignite easily.

“If fire comes at night, I cannot carry her and run. I just pray to God every day that smoke never comes our way,” Ester said, her eyes moist.

For Ester Siyamwaka, the toilet has brought relief. But with no wheelchair and limited health support, daily life remains a challenge.

As Bwime grows, her needs will too and the family continues to hope for more help.