Sophia’s Story

Sophia is a disability justice activist from Tanzania and leads an organisation of persons with disabilities called Peace Life for Persons with Disability Foundation (PLPDF). She is passionate about supporting women and girls with disabilities to take up leadership roles and access education and livelihood opportunities.

Through her work with PLPDF, she promotes their participation in leadership and supports them to build self-awareness, confidence, and self-acceptance.

Funding support through the Disability Justice Fund for Women.

PLPDF is one of the organisations of persons with disabilities in Tanzania that have received funding under the Disability Justice Fund for Women which is a fund designed by women with disabilities in Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania, to make sure it meets the real needs of disability justice activists in these countries.

Through this fund, PLPDF strengthened their organistional capacity and they secured more funding from an organisation called UMATI.

“Receiving the Disability Justice Fund for Women grant was both affirming and transformative. It felt like recognition of our work and trust in our vision. For the first time, we felt supported not only to implement activities but also to strengthen our institution internally. It gave us hope, confidence, and the motivation to grow as an organisation.”

Sophia.

“The grant helped us improve our governance, financial systems, and leadership. We moved from informal ways of working to more structured systems with clear roles and responsibilities. We also set up proper financial systems that follow national regulations, including the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Workers Compensation Fund (WCF), and National Social Security Fund (NSSF).”

“When we received the grant, we focused on strengthening our organisation because we know that strong systems lead to lasting impact.”

“This grant focuses on disability justice and trusts organisations led by persons with disabilities. Unlike many grants that focus on short-term activities, this one supports organisational growth, leadership, and sustainability. It values our lived experience and allows us to set our own priorities.”

“Through this grant, we have supported women with disabilities in the community to increase their participation in advocacy forums. We have also raised awareness of reproductive health and rights for women with disabilities.”

“The women with disabilities we support are now actively taking part in decision-making spaces. They are leading projects, joining policy discussions, and contributing to national advocacy platforms. Their confidence has grown, and they are now seen as leaders and change-makers.”

The power of flexible funding.

“The Disability Justice Fund for Women is a flexible grant. It has allowed us to focus on our real needs, not just donor requirements. It has also helped us make better strategic decisions and this put us in a better position hence being able to secure additional funding from UMATI. ”

“This grant strengthened our credibility. With better systems, proper reports, and compliance records, we became more competitive when applying for grants. Funders now see us as a structured, accountable, and strategic organisation that can manage resources well.”

Sophia.

“We were able to present clear reports and demonstrate impact, which increased our chances of success.”

“I encourage funders to provide flexible, long-term funding, and invest in organisational capacity not just activities. Funders should also trust organisations led by persons with disabilities and recognise lived experience as expertise, because when we are trusted and well supported, we can create lasting and meaningful change.”