FUNDS DRIVE TO EMPOWER PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY

Aug 13, 2015 Editor Kisumu News Kisumu, National, News 0

Associations of the Kenya Physically Disabled in Kisumu County are on a funds drive to empower people with disability by enabling members to overcome their physical limitations.

The County Association Chairman Damji Mandavia said that the aim is also to empower them socially and economically to become fully integrated with members of their communities.

We want our people to get empowered well so that they can engage in other activities that will make them rise above social life’s and be economically fit in the society, said Damji Association Chairman.

He also said that most of its members lack some of the essential equipments thus the need to raise funds and make the purchase for them is necessary.

The association will use parts of the funds in a revolving scheme for the members to assist them in starting businesses to uplift them economically.

Speaking during the funds drive in Kisumu at Social Centre, the vice chairman of the association Reuben Dali says funds to assist the disabled person are dwindling as most donors are withdrawing their support.

Dali lauded the effort of the national government in assisting the disabled persons noting that as a branch they must complement the work of the government.

The secretary of the association Truphena Mbeke said women will be given first priority in availing the funds for start up businesses.

With lack of accessibility to the national endowment Fund which was established under the Perpetual Succession Act Cap 164 of the Laws of Kenya and mandated to utilize their income for the benefit of the disabled persons.

Many of these members are still languishing in extreme poverty despite most of them have subscribed to them after they were promised a high quality life them in Kenya.

Today they are worried lot after since the intended mission who was to offer the best support services to them through provision of resources, promotion of awareness on the contribution they make towards national development, and advocacy of appropriate measures to minimize conditions have since disappeared in the thin air.

Turphena said that if they empower women they are assured that the whole family will be at the joy of the woman.

In giving these women first priority to get these funds we are purely accessing these people homes and the whole family will gain from this robust initiative, said Turphena Association Secretary.

Image courtesy of BeyondDisability.org