BA: What is your vision for the future of this continent?
DT: We hope to reach out to more Special schools all over Africa. We are planning to branch into employment, architecture and health sectors. Collaboration is also very important so we are constantly seeking to partner with like-minded individuals and organizations from various parts of Africa. If you would love to collaborate with us, we would also love to!!
BA: Our theme of the month for the magazine is activism and how, via the change we make, we are activists for a better future, for a brighter Africa. What change do you want to create through Dislabelled?
DT: We want to empower people with intellectual and physical differabilities to become useful citizens. Moreover, we hope to help people understand the need to support people with Special needs.
BA: What is the one thing that has kept you going the whole time, the one thing that you have clung onto to keep you going?
DT: The immensity of the problem at hand. We would be wicked to be fully aware of the harsh treatment that people with Special needs suffer and do nothing about it.
BA: To start an organisation, a few challenges do occur which might seek to make the development of that idea difficult. Did/do you have any challenges and how did/do you seek to overcome them?
DT: Fundraising was a major challenge for us. We applied for a lot of grants and sponsorship but since we had nothing to show that we were actually serious about Dislabelled, we were denied them all. We then made our button badges, which sold out quite fast and set-up our blog. People started to take us more seriously. Launching our crowd-funding page, which gave us $9000+ (from online and offline donations) also helped us a lot. We were awarded a Swarthmore Foundation Grant in May. Persistence is an invaluable tool. Keep persisting and look for alternative methods to overcome your challenges. Keep Pushing and don’t be scared or shy to ask for help.
BA: What advice do you have to all the young people who want to do something like you, get involved in the social entrepreneurial sector? Maybe they have an idea, what will you advise them to do to take that idea forward?
DT: Don’t wait to have everything before you start or else you never will. Start with what you have and the rest will follow. Don’t despise your small beginnings. If you compare the size of a mustard tree to the size of a mustard seed, you would be amazed that something that enormous could come out of something so tiny. It takes time and effort.
BA: How can people get involved in Dislabelled?
DT: You can get involved by opening a chapter of Dislabelled in your community, by becoming a fundraiser or a volunteer and/or by supporting us on social media. There will be more avenues as our upcoming projects unfold. You can send us an e-mail ([email protected]) to subscribe for updates on opportunities to get involved. You can also frequently check our blog, twitter page or instagram (Dislabelled.tumblr.com, @dislabelled) for updates. If you haven’t got a Dislabelled button badge please grab one soon!
BA: On a lighter note, who are you outside of Dislabelled? What do you love doing when you’re not working?
DT: George loves stand-up comedy and fashion. He is also a model. He loves extreme sport like sky diving, reef diving and kayaking. Efua loves to cook, read and organise events. Sedinam loves dance, videography and reading. Nana Ama loves fashion, organising events and reading. We love to hang out together as well!!
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