In the late 1960s, Zimbabwe’s landscape for disability support was a patchwork of passionate but fragmented efforts. Many small societies worked tirelessly in isolation, their individual voices struggling to be heard on the national stage. A profound need for a unified front became clear—a single, powerful entity that could coordinate action, amplify advocacy, and speak for all.

It was from this shared vision that the National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped (NASCOH) was born in 1969. Visionary leaders from across the disability community came together, establishing a registered Private Voluntary Organization to serve as a national umbrella body. Their foundational goal was to unite the disparate groups, transforming a collection of quiet voices into a powerful, coordinated chorus.

Initially focused on welfare and care, NASCOH’s creation marked a pivotal moment. It established a formal structure for collaboration and a central point for lobbying the government more effectively than any single organization could alone. This spirit of unity laid the groundwork for what NASCOH is today: a dynamic, rights-focused organization that has evolved with the times but remains true to its founding principle—that together, we are stronger.