Anita Likambale: Founder of Tosope Initiative

“When I see a child with disability, I think about what else they can do, how they can live a normal life and what resources they need to achieve that.”

This is according to Anita Likambale, who has dedicated her life to easing the burden on that segment of society.

After completing her education, she thought about sharing her skills with the world by creating Tosope Initiative.

It is a non-profit organisation launched in 2023 and committed to ensuring that children with disabilities lead healthy and dignified lives.

The goal is to promote the rights and welfare of these children.

Anita, a physiotherapist, was working at Phalombe District Hospital when the dream was hatched.

‘’I worked at the facility for four years and I realised I could improve the lives of children with disabilities and reduce the burden of disease on them and their guardians,’’ she said.

Anita observed that many of these individuals live in extreme poverty and cannot afford assistive devices that would significantly improve their lives.

Consequently, a considerable number of children spend their days lying down, denying them the opportunity to lead a dignified life.

Furthermore, she said by neglecting these children, they are exposed to various health complications, including chest infections and contractures—hindering their ability to experience life like any other child.

“I choose to help these children because every child has the right to a healthy life, protection from harm, and the right to education; children with disabilities are not exempt.

‘’In a country where we are combating numerous infectious diseases, our health focus tends to be more on life or death rather than on the quality of life. Disability is a neglected area,’’ she said.

Anita’s desire is to amplify these issues, through a holistic approach to healthy and dignified lives.

Last year, she successfully secured a $10 000 (about K10 million) grant from the World Connect to provide assistive devices to children with disabilities in Phalombe through the rehabilitation department at the district hospital.

“This project is divided into three parts. Firstly, to train the rehabilitation team at the hospital and this has been completed. Secondly, to create three different assistive devices for all children with disabilities in Phalombe and distribute them.  This this is still underway,” she said.

They plan to train community health workers in disability and rehabilitation and also how to identify children who need these services by referring to the hospital.

Anita wants every child with a disability to access rehabilitation services.

She is grateful to World Connect for the grant and trust, noting that many organisations don’t typically provide grants to individual projects or start-ups.

“We hope this will pave the way for additional grants and opportunities to undertake similar projects in different districts. Our ongoing project provides adaptive chairs, standing frame and rollators,” she said.

The project includes all children with disabilities currently undergoing rehabilitation services at the district hospital.

Anita is an alumna of the Mandela Washington Fellowship and has a master’s degree in physical activity for health from the University of Edinburgh.

It was funded by the Chevening Scholarship, graduating in 2022

She is stationed at Zomba Central Hospital.

She got her bachelor of Science degree from the Kamuzu College of Health Sciences in 2017. Subsequently, she pursued a Master of Science degree at the University of Edinburgh.

Anita, the eldest in a family of three with two brothers, loves travelling, exploring new eateries, spending quality time with loved ones and watching television.

She works in the pediatric ward as a paediatric physiotherapist, dealing with various conditions in inpatient children.

Her role requires close collaboration with the paediatric team, particularly the paediatric surgical and orthopedic teams.

“I am the focal person for spina bifida and hydrocephalus at the central hospital, where I collaborate with these children and their guardians.

“I counsel, track progress in recovery and administer rehabilitation services,” she said.

Her advice to mothers raising children with disabilities is to actively seek services that can enable their child to lead a normal a life, including access to education, full health and opportunities to interact with friends in the community.

She revealed her key to success; dreaming big and working towards realising those dreams.

“When pursuing opportunities, I give it my best through research, personal growth and seeking advice from those who have achieved similar aspirations. As a dreamer, I envision the finer things in life, so success to me involves academic achievements and rewarding myself with the things I love. I make room for both aspects,” she said.

Anita brags about her strong support system; her fiancé, friends and family who cheer her on to surpass limits.

“I maintain a balance by setting yearly goals that encompass academic, quality time and self-care objectives,” she added.

Throughout her career, Anita has won four awards.

She participated in the Young African Leadership Initiative in 2017, received the Mandela Washington Fellowship in 2019, was honoured with the Chevening scholarship in 2022 and in 2023, she secured a grant for her project.

“My greatest achievement is the Chevening Scholarship. This is a very competitive scholarship with a success rate of less than two percent from over the 60 000 applications wordwide,” she beamed.

She said, the scholarship gave her the opportunity to learn from a top university in the world, networking opportunities with a diverse group of people and the life exposure money cannot buy.

She said, her role models are all the women that are winning in this life, especially in Malawi.