The National Resistance Movement has commemorated the international day for persons living with disabilities at the NRM Secretariat in Kampala under the theme ’Promoting the participation of people with disabilities in the leadership.
The NRM Director for Mobilisation, Cadre Development and Recruitment as well as Uganda’s representative to EALA, Mathias Kasamba used the event to rally PWDs to start income-generating activities to boost their livelihood.
He said PWDs should form SACCOs to access government funds for community development.
‘’I urge persons with disabilities who are out there to come out and embrace what the world has to offer and get involved in various activities to live a happy life. I implore you to form SACCOs, cooperatives and community development networks such that government can help you,’’ He said.
Kasamba also asked PWDs to take up leadership roles at all levels referring to himself as the living example, adding that ‘’ people with disabilities are special people in a society who do strange things yet they lack some specific features on their bodies.
He rallied them to vote the NRM candidates in Kampala and all other parts of the country at all levels to enable government work collaboratively with these leaders to deliver services.
The NRM CEC Vice Chairperson for Kampala, Katongole Singh who was the Chief guest at the event, promised to keep fighting for their rights as PWDS and also rallied them to vote the NRM since it understands their challenges.
“I have heard all what u have said, I will call a meeting between you, your leaders and us, to see how we can best solve these challenges your facing, we need your vote since its genuine and useful,” Singh said.
John musoke a PWD, living in katanga a Kampala suburb said as PWDs they’re largely facing problems in accessing most of the buildings in Kampala since they have no access ways for PWDs.
“It is a challenge to us these buildings can’t be easily accessed we also need interpreters at Sub counties, some of us never attended schools, we pray through this day NRM Government works on these things, we pray every administration block at Sub counties we get 5 wheel chairs,” Musoke said.[tps_title][/tps_title]
The International Day for Persons with Disabilities is celebrated on December 3rd every year.
The day is commemorated to bridge the gap between the persons with disabilities and the non-disabled and most importantly to emphasise that disability is not inability.
