Nexus of indigenous knowledge systems and disability management : a case of Murombedzi Communal Area in Zvimba District in Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Social work methods were adopted from Western countries and have not been fully indigenised to suit African cultures. People with disabilities are among some of the clients of social work. Persons with disabilities and their families become short-changed when social workers do not realise some of the key aspects that affect their day-to-day life. Other service professions such as social and care departments like Department of rehabilitation and Department of social development strongly coordinate at a professional level, leaving out some issues rooted in culture, traditions, and beliefs. This study sought to explore and describe the relationship between indigenous knowledge systems and the management of disabilities in the Murombedzi communal area of Zvimba district in Zimbabwe. The aim of the study was achieved through the following objectives: to appraise knowledge and belief systems on the causes of disabilities and how they shape care, coping mechanisms, and service-seeking behaviour of people with disabilities and their families; to assess traditional/alternative ways of managing disability in Zimbabwe – it was found that traditional methods of managing disabilities do exist; to establish how traditional practices and beliefs contribute to the resilience of people with disabilities and their circles of care; and to propose a hybrid model that takes into consideration contemporary as well as traditional practices and beliefs in disability management in Zimbabwe. The study was conducted after observing limited adherence to contemporary disability management programmes due to many reasons, including inaccessibility due to service and access costs, the belief that some disabilities are best dealt with using traditional methods, and limited sensitivity to cultural and spiritual issues by contemporary service providers despite a clear central role in African people. The study adopted an Afrocentric research methodology since it was about African people and their indigenous knowledge system. It was a qualitative study that allowed the voices of participants to come out and to understand in-depth traditional methods used in identifying, assessing, and managing disabilities, which all form disability management processes. The study was a case study. Descriptive case studies are in-depth studies of a certain situation, and in this case, the understanding and management of disability by indigenous Zimbabwean people. Case studies allow the research of complex situations to gain a full understanding of phenomena (Zainal, 2007). As disability management is complex, from identifying what disability is and coming up with a strategy to manage it, the researcher chose a case study design for the study. This allowed the researcher to systematically narrow down wide-ranging topics of disability to one researchable aspect of Zimbabwean aboriginal’s understanding of disability. Triangulation was used to sample participants. Three sampling techniques, that is, purposive, snowballing, and convenience, were adopted. In-depth Interviews were used to collect data from people with disabilities, traditional leaders, and healers; family interviews were conducted with families of persons with disabilities with communication challenges and mental illnesses. This was because the researcher was not able to communicate effectively with them. Lastly, focus group discussions were conducted with community leaders and people with disabilities to enable those who were not comfortable with talking about sensitive issues in individual interviews to openly speak feeling safe amongst others like them. Having an abnormality or malfunctioning body part was understood to be a disability. Disability was mainly linked to body parts as compared to contemporary definitions which suggest disability in terms of activity limitation. People with disabilities were, therefore. found to be people with problems; hence disability management processes focused on solving the problem as compared to eliminating barriers. Disability causes were highly linked with spiritual factors. Spiritual factors that were reported include witchcraft, backfiring juju or sacrificing family members for their success, violating taboos, avenging spirits, ancestral spirits, kutanda botso, love portions, and mombe yehumai. Other non-spiritual factors were reported, including aspects like stress, accidents, drug abuse, genetic factors, and malnutrition. Disability management strategies were highly linked with the believed cause of disability. Where disability is believed to have been caused by spiritual forces, then the interventions will also be spiritual in nature. Some of the reported interventions include the use of herbs, animals, animal, and birds’ products, rituals, kurasirira/kurasira (exorcism), kudzura or kuruma (where hands or teeth are used to extract the poison or dangerous items in one`s body) and kurutsisa (making someone vomit the evil stuff they have been fed). Resilience of persons with disabilities and their families was reported to come from idioms and proverbs, family, and community solidarity, ubuntu, and a general belief that disability is a sign that one is half human and half spiritual; hence the challenges faced by people with disabilities will be rewarded by God or Vadzimu (ancestors) later. The study recommends the involvement of family, extended family, and the community in disability management process, recognition of traditional leaders as key stakeholders in disability management, the upholding of the role of Ubuntu in social work practice, recognition of African spirituality in social work education and practice, and the strengthening of community-based disability management services