Our vision is to ensure that people with disabilities are highly equipped with quality education, care and are rehabilitated irrespective of their disability.
Erick Memorial Foundation for Education and Rehabilitation for Disabled (EMFERD) is a registered non-profit organization that has been established to address issues of marginalized people with disabilities, particularly girls from poor families. The need arises in order to address issues of stigma and marginalization that hinder the development of this target group, thus creating safe and conducive environment for these families.
EMFERD is, in real sense, an organization named after the late Erick, the beloved son of Mama Josephine Bakhita. During childhood, Erick was attacked by severe meningitis which resulted into permanent mental and physical paralysis. This caused him to be dependent to his mother until his adulthood. His mother felt discrimination and stigmatization from her family and the community around, resulting to the breakup of her marriage, and later the death of her beloved son, Erick.
From 1991 to 1992Ms. Josephine made an undocumented survey that revealed alarming situation on the number of disabled people who were hidden in households without proper care. Further undocumented surveys revealed the problem to be chronic, with some mothers practicing unprofessional therapies, some resulting in strangling children to death. From this unprecedented experience, she went a step ahead to establish an organization named Amani Center with the aim of helping and changing the lives of the disabled and mentally challenged children. The center was then handled on to the Roman Catholic Church, Diocese of Morogoro in 2009. In 2011, her concern grew larger and necessitated the formation of Erick Memorial Foundation for Education and Rehabilitation for the Disabled (EMFERD).
The organization has been established particularly with the view of eradicating all forms of stigma and discrimination that hinder full development of mentally disabled children from poor families. Due to chronic poverty in local households, most families fail to take appropriate measures to address the issues related to mental disability. Most end up shunning away or hiding such people on grounds of misfortune or witchcraft.
EMFERD is certified to operate in all districts of mainland Tanzania, but currently the focus will be in the Districts of Gairo, Kilosa, Mvomero and Morogoro Urban and Rural. Ideally, the focus is in remote rural communities with higher prevalence of underprivileged families of the disabled children.
Scarcity of institutions and qualified personnel to cater for the increasing demand of persons in need is still a large challenge. The available policies and infrastructure has been not able to satisfy the needs of target population.
