LocationsBeyond the Pinpoints: Making Disability Services Visible in Zanzibar
October 12, 2026
Official Handover of the Care Georeferencing Tool to the Zanzibar National Council of Persons with Disabilities (ZNCPD).
Beyond the Pinpoints: Making Disability Services Visible in Zanzibar
A map rarely tells the whole story, but sometimes it reveals one that has been hidden in plain sight.
Across Zanzibar, organisations have long provided education, rehabilitation, care and support to persons with disabilities. Yet until recently, there was no complete picture of where these services were located, who they served or where critical gaps remained. The information existed, but in pieces, held across institutions, organizations and communities, making it harder to coordinate services and identify gaps in access.
Recognising this challenge, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the global programme on unpaid care, disability and gender-transformative approaches, supported an initiative to map and document disability care and support services across Unguja, Zanzibar.
This effort led to the piloting of the Care Georeferencing Tool (CGT) — the first such pilot in Africa. Through the initiative, disability care and support services across Unguja have been systematically mapped and consolidated on an interactive digital platform, making it easier to see where services are available and where gaps remain.
Seeing the Landscape for the First Time
No single organisation held all the answers. Building a complete picture required close collaboration with SHIJUWAZA, the Federation of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities in Zanzibar, and service providers across Unguja. Their insights helped identify services and ensured that the information collected reflected realities on the ground.
Then came the work of mapping those services.
Teams travelled across Unguja, documenting disability care and support services — their locations, the services they offered and the people they served. One by one, the services began to take shape on the map.
Stakeholders gather at the SHIJUWAZA office in Zanzibar to review and validate the survey tool and initial list of disability care and support service providers.
What the Findings Revealed
What emerged was not a picture of an empty landscape. Across Unguja, organisations are already providing a wide range of care and support to people with disabilities. Inclusive education, early childhood interventions, home support, personal assistance and community outreach were among the most commonly reported services, often reaching people across multiple disability groups.
For many, that support also comes at no direct cost. Twenty-eight of the 32 providers reported offering their services free of charge. But when all 32 providers appeared on the same map, another pattern became difficult to ignore. Thirty were located in Mjini Magharibi. This meant nearly 94 per cent of all mapped providers were concentrated in one region, while only one provider was mapped in Kaskazini Unguja and one in Kusini Unguja.
The map was beginning to show more than where services could be found. It was revealing the geography of access. The assessment found that service provision remained heavily concentrated around urban areas, alongside other challenges, including limited accessibility of communications, shortages of resources, and a strong dependence on donations and international support. For families searching for support, these distances and service gaps can mean longer journeys, delayed referrals, or missing out on assistance altogether.
Mapping the distribution of disability care and support service providers across Unguja, Zanzibar.
Turning Information into a Tool for Action
The information collected through the mapping was compiled in the Care Georeferencing Tool (CGT), an interactive platform that brings mapped services and provider information together in one place. Users can explore where services are located, view provider profiles, filter information and compare patterns in service coverage.
The CGT was initially hosted on UNDP's GeoHub, providing an accessible platform for visualising and exploring the mapped data. As the tool evolved, efforts focused on ensuring it would remain available and useful beyond the project's lifespan.
Anchoring Local Ownership
Care Georeferencing Tool as Deployed on the Jumuishi MIS
To support long-term use and sustainability, the Care Georeferencing Tool was integrated into Jumuishi, Zanzibar's existing Management Information System. Through collaboration among UNDP, ZNCPD and eGAZ, the platform transitioned from a project-supported tool to one embedded within government systems, enabling local management and maintenance.
The result? A tool that is not only locally owned but also positioned to remain part of how Zanzibar plans, coordinates and makes decisions about disability services.
Official Handover of the Care Georeferencing Tool to the Zanzibar National Council of Persons with Disabilities (ZNCPD).
Looking Ahead
The georeferencing initiative has given Zanzibar something it lacked before: a shared view of its disability support ecosystem. By bringing together government institutions, organisations of persons with disabilities, service providers, and development partners, it has transformed scattered information into a practical resource for planning, coordination, and action. It also provides a clearer picture of where support is still needed and where future investment could make a difference.
Most importantly, it has made services more visible. The opportunity now is to use that visibility to bring services closer to the people who need them. When gaps are visible, they can be addressed. When services are accessible, they can be strengthened. And when evidence is placed in the hands of those working to build a more inclusive society, it becomes a powerful tool for ensuring that no person with a disability is left behind.
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