HOIMA: People Living with Disabilities {PWDs} have been asked to embrace government programs in order to improve their lives.
The call was made by Gilbert Bigirwenkya, the Executive director Hoima Union of People with Disabilities -HUDIP during the commemoration of people with disabilities’ day at Kitara Secondary School in Hoima City on Tuesday.
Bigirwenkya challeged the people living with disabilities to position themselves and embrace government programs so that they can benefit from them like other community members.
Bigirwenkya asserted that most PWDs don’t embrace the government programs which has hindered them from benefiting from the programs and making them lag behind others in terms of development.
The Hoima City East Division Mayor, Bosco Muhanuzi revealed that there is a special grant for the people with disabilities from the government but unfortunately the people with disabilities have not taken advantage of it.
Muhanuzi attributed this to failure by the PWDs to form groups through which they can tap into these opportunities.
He therefore asked the PWDs to form groups in order to benefit from government programs.
William Mwambu, the district male councillor representing PWDs in Masindi district cited mobility as some of the challenges facing PWDs and asked the government to provide them with assistive devices such as wheelchairs and white sticks to aid them in their movement.
He noted the many disabled people have been left out of the government programs due to lack of such devices.
However Mwambu applauded the government for increasing the scholarships for PWDs from 64 to 300 at the university level noting this will help fight illiteracy among the PWDs.
The politician therefore asked the parents of children with disabilities to take their children to the learning institutions such that they can benefit from this offer.
The News Editor ,Reporter at Kagadi Kibaale community Radio
