2011 Individual Award Winner- Freddy Mata Matundu

Freddy Mata Matundu
Freddy Mata Matundu

 

Freddy Mata Matundu is the founder and coordinator of CPPS, the first program in Democratic Republic of the Congo to address discrimination towards the estimated 1.4 million of deaf and the hearing-impaired people in the country.
 
These people are severely marginalised, particularly because DMHI is associated with sorcery and belief in witchcraft is very strong.
 
CPPS, made up of deaf-mute and “hearing” actors, have an innovative and inclusive approach to communicating using theatre, music and video.  The actors use what might at first be considered as a disability as a strength. Since they are obliged to communicate without words, they find innovative means to communicate to a broad public: from children in the capital to village elders in remote areas. Up to 400 languages are spoken in DRC, but everybody can understand the messages communicated by CPPS, irrespective of language.
 
They participate in the empowerment of their own marginalized community, both through peer-to-peer awareness campaigns on health and sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) issues, and by using civil education to explain the electoral process and encourage deaf-mute voter participation in elections.
 
CPPS is supporting the marginalized and demonstrating strong will and courageous commitment – considering the context in which the group has evolved. CPPS can therefore be considered as human rights defenders, battling to end discrimination.
 
 
 

 
 

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