I’M EMMANUEL BAHANUZI

Dreams cannot be limited by any disability

 

My name is Emmanuel Bahanuzi. I was born on the 24th of December 1989 in Bukavu, South Kivu in the territory of Kabare of the Democratic Republic of Congo. I became disabled from 1996 when I was 7 years old and a student in the second year of my Primary school. Three years after the fateful incident that left me disabled, my father and mother abandoned me alone without anyone to take care of me.

The only home I had was the church that welcomed me as I was. When I reached 16 years of age, I left the church. I started to manage for myself on the streets as best as I could but the community also rejected me since I was now disabled and parentless. At the age of 18, I married from a magnificent family where I got my better half, ROSETTE BALEZI whom I lived with in Beni, North Kivu. With her, we have 5 amazing and lovely children.

At the time, the situation in the country was not as favorable, the war in the country intensified and the eastern region where we lived became the battle ground for new attacks. We had to flee and find refuge and a new home in Uganda with all my family members in 2017. The Uganda government welcomed us well and gave us our documents in time. After being recognized as a refugee, I set out and created the Group Walemavu Umoja Ni Nguvu with a few of my new friends in the refugee settlement.

In 2018 I was elected chairman of handicap and after 1 year, raised through the ranks and became the Refugee welfare council 2 chairperson in Kyaka II refugee settlement. Since then, I continue to lead the Walemavu Umoja Ni Nguvu group. My main goal for this group was to fight more for inclusion for persons with disabilities and to change how the community sees us, as competent people and not people worthy of the community’s sympathy.

We constantly have to fight in our community. What we would love the community to know is that we are all disabled in one way or the other, be it in language, be it in level of education or competency. We should not discriminate based on how one looks or how one Is physically looking. We should instead look at the competency in each one of us and use that as a tool for collective decision making.

It is against this background that our group is set up in such a way that it is open to all members of the community. You are free to come and join us and plan for our futures together regardless of how you look. People should not look at it as a group setup for the person with disabilities but as a community based initiative that is here to work for all members of the community.

In 2018 I was elected chairman of handicap and after 1 year, raised through the ranks and became the Refugee welfare council 2 chairperson in Kyaka II refugee settlement. Since then, I continue to lead the Walemavu Umoja Ni Nguvu group. My main goal for this group was to fight more for inclusion for persons with disabilities and to change how the community sees us, as competent people and not people worthy of the community’s sympathy.

We constantly have to fight in our community. What we would love the community to know is that we are all disabled in one way or the other, be it in language, be it in level of education or competency. We should not discriminate based on how one looks or how one Is physically looking. We should instead look at the competency in each one of us and use that as a tool for collective decision making.

It is against this background that our group is set up in such a way that it is open to all members of the community. You are free to come and join us and plan for our futures together regardless of how you look. People should not look at it as a group setup for the person with disabilities but as a community based initiative that is here to work for all members of the community.

Lastly, we would love to have all the rights and regulations governing the persons with disabilities implemented by all partners. We would love to see our members and all members of the community empowered to be the best they can be in their own community. We are calling for equal treatment and meaningful participation in all decision making forums so that we contribute to making our lives better in the refugee settlements.

EMMANUEL BAHANUZI

August 2022