Film
NOUSPR Advocates for the Rights of Persons with Psychosocial Disabilities
**Trigger warning regarding genocide
The prevalence of psychosocial disabilities in Rwanda is far above the international average. Nearly one million people were killed during the genocide, and that devastation has had a profound effect on the country. The National Organization of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry in Rwanda (NOUSPR) has a dream – a world in which all people with psychosocial disabilities are treated with the respect and dignity that allow them to enjoy their human rights in all aspects of their lives. In this video, Mariza Munah, NOUSPR’s advocacy officer, talks about how mental health is one of the “neglected disabilities” in Rwanda and how NOUSPR is advocating for and with people with psychosocial disabilities and providing a platform for a unified voice. *Video includes audio descriptions for blind and low-vision audiences.
Rose Umutesi is chairperson of the National Organization of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry in Rwanda (NOUSPR) and co-founder and treasurer of its umbrella organization, the National Union of Disabilities Organizations of Rwanda (NUDOR).
NOUSPR’S mission is to advocate for and with people with psychosocial disabilities. It works to provide a platform for a unified voice to advocate for services and opportunities and to have NOUSPR members' interests and human rights promoted and protected.
NUDOR was established in 2010 by eight national organizations of persons with disabilities. Its mission is to strengthen the voice of the disability movement in Rwanda.
About this video: For World Autism Awareness Day, DJP Fellow Naufal Asy-Syaddad explores what it's like to be autistic in Indonesia in 2023. His hopes include "marrying a woman who accepts my disability."
About this video: Fazira Kauma toppled political barriers in Uganda when she became the first woman and the first blind citizen to be appointed deputy mayor in Jinja. She says disability representation in politics is key.
About this video: Ugandans with disabilities who are HIV positive are at greater risk of secondary infections because of a lack of access to nutritious food. Advocates ask the government for more support.
About this video: DJP Fellow Christine Oliver Dhikusooka sets out to learn why only 1.3 percent of formally employed Ugandans are disabled. Along the way, she interviews a mother who makes fishing nets and a Deaf schoolteacher.
About this video: Of the nearly 400 DeafBlind people living in Malawi, 250 are school-aged children. DJP Fellow Duster Lucius interviews Chrissy Mutumba, the first DeafBlind student accepted at a prestigious high school in Blantyre.
About this video: Rina Prasarini has a message for disabled women: "Don't give up. Keep fighting." In 'We Are Born Perfect,' DJP Fellow Retta Maha interviews the entrepreneur, disability rights activist, and single mother of two.