Consider PWD’s Plights, County Governments Advised
By Jilian Anyango
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
A community based organization wants county governments to consider and include the plights of people living with Disabilities in their County Integrated Development Plans CIDP.
MWARP Executive Director Rahma Gulam says such consideration once enacted would help to alleviate the sufferings PWD’s currently go through.
She said currently so many PWD’s are undergoing pathetic economic constraints since the outbreak of the COVID19 scourge with nowhere to run for meaningful assistance.
According to her many PWD’s have continued to suffer silently following the loose of jobs by bread winners whom they solely depend on since the scourge hit the country.
“We are in talks with the county government to ensure that PWDs are considered in the budgetary allocations going forward to ensure considerations are made for their socioeconomic needs,” the CBO official added.
Meanwhile several People living with disability in Lamu are set to benefit from a financial literacy initiative aimed at uplifting their socioeconomic plight within the county.
About 80 groups for Persons with Disability within that county will be the first beneficiaries of the initiative launched under the auspices of Muslim Women Advancement of Rights and Protection (MWARP) inconjuction with the Aga Khan Foundation.
The groups will then receive funding through which they can set up their own businesses in a bid to fend for themselves within the communities they live in.
Speaking to the media after the launch of the initiative at Mokowe County Headquarters, Gulam further said the 6 months’ initiative will include the identification, registration, training and funding of these groups.
MWARP programme officer, James Chappa stated the initiative is a direct response to the plight of PWD, which he said has greatly deteriorated since the COVID-19 crisis.
He further said that the key to the initiative’s success lies with all stakeholders collaborating to de-stigmatize PWDs and their plight.
“There is need for both the county and national government to get involved in ensuring that PWDs are facilitated just as much as other residents to have access to opportunities that include education, jobs and also infrastructure,” he said.
National Council for Persons with Disability County Director Joseph Wanjohi on his part stated that collaborative efforts are already underway in ensuring that all PWDs are re-registered in a bid to ensuring they have access to affirmative action opportunities.
“There has been a lot of infiltration by unscrupulous individuals who have been taking advantage and registering PWDs,” he stated, adding that the Council in collaboration with other stakeholders would be carrying out a registration drive across the county to identify deserving cases.
Lamu County Childrens Services County Director Maxwell Titima on his part noted that children living with disability should also be considered for any available aids and assistance.
He called on Parents with children living with disability to register their children with the NCPWD early enough in order for them to ensure their kin are considered for disability relief programmes and initiatives.
“A good number of parents have been hiding their children who have disabilities rather than availing them to be registered by NCPWD,” Titima lamented.
