アフリカ障害者の10年　African Decade of Persons with Disablities　2012年7月～9月

THE disabled people in the country have announced intentions of forming a steering committee that will guide their full participation constitution review process.

The Executive Director of Disabled Organisation for Legal Affairs and Social Economic Development (Dolased) Mr Gideon Mandesi said in Dar es Salaam on Thursday that the committee would ensure that disabled issues are accomodated in the new constitution.

"We have too many issues that we believe will be well presented by no one else but us. Therefore a committee that we are going to form is crucial and will make a follow up through to the final stages in ensuring that our interests are safeguarded in the new constitution," he said.

Mr Mandesi, who is blind, was speaking on the sidelines of a workshop for the disabled which brought together over 200 disabled persons from around the country. "We want our group to be recognized as a special one, a group which deserves privileges," said the first blind person in Tanzania to qualify as a lawyer.

Mr Mandesi noted that just like Kenya did in their new constitution, Tanzanian disabled citizens also want to be exempted from various taxes. He added that the constitution must specifically state that the disabled should be supported and get protection from other members of the society.

"I wonder why special seats in the National Assembly, for example, are for women only. We want the seats to be divided and ensure that disabled people get a meaningful representation in the august House," he said. He noted that some disabled have been denied their rights such as the right to vote and be voted for, citing people with mental disability as example.

"Mental challenged individuals are not useless, some mental cases are not very serious to the extent of denying them the right to vote. Therefore priority should be directed towards this group and the constitution must say something about it," he said. Ms Paskazia Yahya who is an albino from Morogoro Region noted that albinos want the new constitution to state clearly that albinos are endangered and the society should provide security.

"The incidents of albino killings that took place in the country in the past years have left behind a lesson and now that we are moving towards writing a new constitution, albinos should be treated as a special group among the disabled," she said. The Chairman of the Tanzania Constitution Forum, Mr Deus Kibamba, emphasized on the importance of disabled to present and defend their issues in the process of new constitution, adding that no one would be in a position to defend them better than themselves.

Mr Kibamba who presented a paper-"Constitutional Process: Where we come from, where we are and where we are going" noted that a level playing field in politics was vital in increasing participation of special groups. "Most of the disabled people are poor and in some cases they are not preferably nominated at political party level to engage in active politics. There should be a kind of favour given to this group in this area," he noted.

Meanwhile, Meddy Mulisa reports from Bukoba that the National Constitutional Review Committee has commended residents in Biharamulo district for responding positively. They turned up during the public meetings to air their views freely. A Committee Member who is leading the Kagera team, Ms Mwatumu Malale, told the 'Daily News' in an exclusive interview that the turn out in Biharamulo district was almost 90 per cent.

She has urged residents in other districts of Ngara, Karagwe, Kyerwa, Misenyi, Bukoba Urban, Muleba and Bukoba Rural to utilize the opportunity by giving their views on what they want to be included in the new constitution. The National Constitutional Review Committee will visit all eight districts and meet people during public meetings.

According to Ms Malale, among pressing issues raised by people in Biharamulo district include powers of the Union President, which they said, should be reduced. Also, the people want abolition of special seats and nominated MPs, saying all positions should be contested in free elections.

They also suggested land rights should be protected by the new constitution, saying investors should negotiate and share with the locals. Ms Malale said people had also advised the government to give free education and health services to all its citizens.

She further disclosed that after collecting views from people in all regions, The National Constitutional Review Committee will submit a Memorandum for establishment of special Tribunals (Mabaraza) at village, district and regional levels. She urged leaders to sensitize the people on how to establish the tribunals and their importance in enhancing democracy.

Head of Department, Mrs Harriet Mushota with a combined class of deaf-mute children at the Round Table No.7 Speech and Hearing Centre in Lusaka. - Picture by Nkole Nkole.

It’s easy to bypass the small building dubbed the ‘Speech and Hearing Centre’ within Lusaka’s University Teaching Hospital (UTH) vicinity because hardly any sounds escape from it. Once inside, the silence hangs still in the air. The building was erected in 1971 to provide some sort of organised welfare services for deaf-mute children. NKOLE NKOLE now writes about the centre.

EYES speak here but they cannot fill up the silence. Lips move but only to form words unheard. Here, all the time, hands are raised and fingers pointed to communicate a message.

On a door sign are imprinted the words: “Special Early Childhood Education Children with Special Needs.”

Sometimes you are greeted by an inquiring face and then a pair of hands gesturing for you to enter.

The sprightly children you find inside introduce themselves in silence; eagerly signalling with their hands in order to be understood.

Stuck to a notice board inside the little building designated as the UTH Speech and Hearing Centre are lines of a poem which read: “I would like to hear the soothing sounds of rain, the long whistle of a speeding train, the sound of lapping waves against the sand, the eager claps of little children’s hands. But if this silence be my cross, I’ll take it any place.

They are words that were written years ago by Dorothy Atar, who suffered the total loss of hearing following an accident; words that nearly all the deaf-mute children taught at the centre can identify with.

It’s break time and all the contents of a big box now lying idly on the floor have been removed.

The box is a thing of interest to the children only because it keeps all the teddy bears and dolls they are permitted to play with during recess.

Because their language is spoken through their hands, mainly, it’s a little difficult to comprehend exactly what they are saying but easier to make out how they are feeling.

Their faces tell their emotions. Bright eyes and a creasing smile meaning all is well; raised eyebrows and a frown to mean the opposite.

But there is no mistaking a cry, as distinct as if it were coming from that of a child who speaks. It is inborn to cry after all, while talking is learned behaviour.

Starting from the year 1971, when the centre was first established, children from different parts of the country have been registered here for hearing and speech assessment after referral from the UTH.

Its initial purpose was to provide education to hearing impaired children at pre-school level and other related specialised services for the hearing impaired.

The silence is the unifying factor here. To connect with the place, you must be connected to the silence.

In one particular room, however, words can be heard where gathered are four members of staff involved in a little chit-chat.

Curled up by herself under a table is a little girl, who is unhappy with something one of the other kids did to her. Four others get under the table and kneel beside her in sympathy. She finally gives in and lets them play with her again. The truce is arrived at through the use of signs and not through words.

Another little girl while combing the wiry hair of a Barbie clasped in her hand, takes it upon herself to explain the cause of the dispute that has just been resolved. She gestures to explain that the little girl was unhappy because she was hit, and then proceeds to point out the bully in confidence.

Amongst the group playing in the small play area is a pair of girls now drawn to a notebook. They grab a pen and scribble their names inside the notebook. “Taonga” writes one girl after a bit of a struggle while the other girl writes “Natasha”, smiles, and points to herself.

On each school day, lessons should last what is supposed to be a very quiet thirty minutes, with another thirty minute interval of recess after each lesson.

The centre was built with the help of the Lusaka Round Table No.7 with the specific aim to serve the needs of hearing impaired children. Dr Peter W Matoka - at the time Minister of Health - officiated at the presentation.

A reproduction of the speech he made at the launch of the centre is used as the foreword in the booklet, Speech and Silence Zambia.

“A hearing impairment causes the most adverse effects upon language and mental development and therefore prevention or reduction of such impairment through early diagnosis and speedy initiation of a comprehensive programme or rehabilitate,” Dr Matoka’s speech reads in part.

Speech education and the development of personality, Dr Matoka had said, were dependent upon the ability to hear properly, hence the handicap of deafness is severely felt by the deaf child.

“His young mind is full of questions, which can neither be asked nor can the answers be fully grasped because of the inability to communicate.

“He cannot complain when he is hungry, thirsty or in pain. He is often labelled “stupid” and people turn away from him because they are not aware of the implications of his handicap,” reads another portion of the speech.

It takes patience to school the deaf-mute, patience and a touch of charisma. It also takes heart to be connected to their world and understand the complexity of their disability.

For four years, Mrs Harriet Mushota, head of Department at the UTH Special School has dealt closely with the realm of silence. She is also the guidance and counselling teacher at the speech and hearing centre.

She has come to know the ways of the deaf-mute and how they should be schooled. Because of her expertise, she also counsels the parents of the deaf-mute children under her care.

Many of the parents who first bring their children for assessment stay in denial for a while and do not accept the disability.

“Once they accept, it becomes easier for them to support the child,” Mrs Mushota shares. “In the beginning most of them think they are just wasting money and time.”

Presently, the school has five teachers thus making it very difficult to keep the children consistently in order.

The children are supposed to be within a teacher’s reach and not beyond the number five because by the time one group is being organised, another would have already become disorderly.

Like most children clustered together for a considerable length of time, fights start all of the time. Nowhere is this more evident than inside the tiny classroom comprising pupils from Grades One to Four. There is hardly any room at the centre to cater for all the grades represented.

“Assa,”, “Erick”, “Faith”, “Alfred”, and “Natasha” are just some of the names labelled on pink name tags attached to the desks arranged on one side of the main classroom.

Upon entry, you are greeted by the curious stares of the children all competing for attention. They each point at their name tag and then at themselves as their form of introduction.

The main classroom is divided into two groups. One group consisting deaf-mute children from Grades One to Three, the other with children in Grades Four and Five.

To solve the ‘mixed grade’ problem, one group faces east towards their blackboard at the front end of the classroom while the other faces west towards their blackboard at the rear end of the classroom.

Adrina Kapembwa, the student teacher on duty, stands and gestures for the attention of the group comprising the older children, whose blackboard is at the front end of the classroom.

As she begins her lesson, members of the second group face the opposite direction and carry on with their idle chatter.

The science lesson is on the different types of soil and as Miss Mulenga asks how many soil types there are, one boy is given the chance to respond.

Miss Mulenga is presently studying at the Zambia Institute for Special Education (ZAMISE) in Lusaka’s Kamwala area and can directly relate with the condition of the children she is tutoring. A picture stuck on the centre’s notice board shows three teenagers taking a pose. Miss Mulenga is one of the three.

She was in Grade Eight at Magwero Secondary School when she first came to the centre for testing in 1991. This was after she developed mumps, which led to her loss of hearing. Even though she cannot hear, she can talk and read lips.

“For us deaf people in Zambia, we have no other careers apart from teaching,” she says in a faintly audible voice. “When you finish Grade Twelve, there is no other career apart from teaching.”

On a personal level, she admits that it is her disability that led her into teaching when she would have otherwise wanted to become a lawyer.

Communication between the teachers and the deaf-mute pupils is the biggest challenge. Their first duty even before class begins is to clean up their classroom area and then the first period begins, which is free play.

When Miss Mulenga is done with the science lesson, Faith Chiyowela, a student teacher from the University of Zambia (UNZA) takes to the rear end of the classroom to teach the second group of kids.

As Miss Chiyowela begins the maths lesson, the group of older children whose science lesson has just ended is already running wild in their half of the classroom.

It appears strange to see the older children in their rancorous display while the younger children are having their lesson until one realises that no sound can be heard by any of the children. Despite the silence, the older children create enough commotion to distract the younger children but the lesson carries on anyway.

The first four children seated more towards the front, are following through Miss Chiyowela’s lesson but not the rest. Taonga, Natasha and Assa are engaged in an endless argument. No matter what Miss Chiyowela tries, she is only able to pacify them momentarily before they are at it again.

The scene is a clear demonstration of just how difficult it is to control deaf-mute children beyond a certain number. The shortage of teaching staff, however, means the team of five teachers has to cope within their limited capacity.

The general space at the centre is small. Since its inception, the building has not been expanded. But for three tiny classrooms, a small teacher’s office and an equally small kitchen, there is hardly room for the children to amply explore and express themselves.

They have learnt to accept their condition and are now well accustomed to their soundless world. And though they cannot speak, they yearn in earnest to be heard.

PROUD: Miss Deaf Nosipho Zwane dancing during the finals of the Miss Deaf World in the Czech Republic on Saturday. Zwane will return to Swaziland tomorrow MISS Deaf Swaziland Nosipho Zwane failed to make it to the top five of the Miss Deaf World contest held in Prague, Czech Republic on Saturday.

Nonetheless, by virtue of competing against 40 contestants from around the world, Zwane is already a winner by all standards.

Former Miss Deaf Swaziland Simphiwe Magagula was crowned first princess in the world contest in 2009.

This year’s Miss Deaf World crown went to Miss Deaf Germany Karin Keuter whereas; Miss Deaf Georgia emerged as First Princess and Miss Deaf Ukraine was named Second Princess. The results were announced in the official Facebook page of the Miss Deaf World and Miss Deaf Europe contests.

Judging by her facial expressions in these pictures, it’s pretty obvious Zwane had fun.

Countries that competed in the contest are Kazachst？n, Slovakia, Mongolia, South Korea, Malta, Italy, Canada, Estonia, Cyprus, Lithuania, Nigeria, Moldava, Serbia, South Africa, Australia, Romania and Belgium.

Others were Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Switzerland, Macedonia Croatia, Poland Montenegro and France.

Drawn for comment, Miss Deaf Swaziland Director Nokuthula Mbatha said she was extremely proud of Zwane regardless of the results.

“I am still proud of her. She has taken Swaziland to the world. It took courage for her to do this. For her to come out and boldly stand on a world stage is commendable. With all that these kids in the deaf community have been made to believe throughout their lives that they won’t amount to anything, Nosipho has shown remarkable boldness,” she said.

She added that Zwane had shown the country that the deaf community could make us proud as a country.

“Simphiwe did it and now, Nosipho has done it. Let’s hope other pageants in the country will be able to do the same,” she further said.

Zwane and Lushaba are expected to land at the OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday afternoon.

The national body of Youths Living With Disabilities have tasked the Government of Rivers State to create an agency specifically tailored to cater for challenges faced by disabled persons in the State.

National President of the body, Mr. Okon Efiong, made the call a day after the Lagos State Government announced the institution of a similar board that included four disabled persons.

Speaking during a courtesy call on the Rivers State Government yesterday, Mr. Efiong said the leadership of the body was in Rivers to also appeal for the State’s hosting of their forthcoming national conference.

He said the intended conference is geared towards educating and strengthening people with disabilities not to be weighed down by their conditions, but to surmount the challenges and discover the potentials in them for purposeful life.

He said society at large is moving fast from a position of pity for the disabled to an age where governments and individuals must show commitment to making the work environment conducive for proper integration of several deserving persons with enormous abilities in their disabilities.

Acknowledging the group’s interests in Rivers State, the Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr. Owene Wonodi promised to convey their desires to Governor Rotimi Amaechi for timely feedback.

Bongo (UE), July 12, GNA - Police Constable Justice Amoh stationed at Bongo in the Upper East Region, is　alleged to have raped a teenage hearing impaired girl.

The Police Constable, who is currently locked up in Police cells at Bongo, was said to have committed the　act on Tuesday at the Guest House of the Bongo District Assembly, where he temporary resides.

Narrating the incident to the Ghana News Agency, the Paramount Chief of Bongo, Naba Saba Salifu　Aleemyarum, said the constable lured the victim on his motorbike with the intention of giving her a lift but　took her to his abode.

He said while on the motorbike the victim wai led when she sensed danger that the constable was taking her　beyond where she wanted to alight.

This drew the attention of some bystanders who later followed the Policeman and girl to his house. When　they got to the house and forcefully broke into the room, they found out that the officer had succeeded in　raping the girl who was naked and bleeding.

Naba Aleemyarum said the case was reported to him and he instructed the girl's parents to report it at　the Police Station where the victim was given a medical form to go for check- up.

When the GNA visited the Bongo Police Station, the constable was in cells, but could not talk to the　District Police Commander because sources said he was indisposed.

Officers on duty refused to provide details on the matter but said they were given directive by the Upper　East Regiona l Police Command to cause the arrest of the culprit.

At the Bongo District Hospital, authorities confirmed that the girl had been raped.

The timely intervention of the Paramount Chief saved the life of the constable whose house was besieged　by irate youth who wanted to lynch him. Similar situation occurred at the police station before he was locked up.

Police Corporal Justice Amu of the Bongo Police station has been arrested for allegedly raping a deaf and dumb teenage girl in Bongo in the region.

According to a sister of the victim Joyce Ayamba her younger sister was returning from an errand when the policeman lured her into his house and sexually abused her.

Joyce Ayamba in narrating the incident to Citi News said her sister was sent by her madam and upon her return the police man offered her a ride on his motorbike that he would go and drop her off at her workplace.

She continued that upon reaching her workplace the man sped up and rode straight to his house and asked the girl to take his keys and open his door.

When she refused the policeman slapped her, opened the door himself and forced her inside. He also forced her onto his bed and forcibly had sex with her.**

July 13 (Credit Stevenson) GNA - Bechem School for the Deaf recorded 78 percent　passes in the 2010-2011 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), maintaining its enviable　academic record as the best school for the deaf in the country.

Disclosing this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Bechem at the weekend, Mr. Nelson Addai-Poku, Assistant Headmaster, said the school presented 50 candidates for the examination.

He said as at term three of the 2011-2012 academic year, the population of the school stands at 415　students, excluded about 30 finalists who just took the 2011-2012 BECE.

Mr. Addai-Poku said the management of the school in collaboration with the authorities of Saint Joseph’s Demonstration School at Bechem, had made it possible for blind pupils in primary four and five to join their“seeing colleagues” at the Demonstration School to learn together.

The Assistant Headmaster said unlike the main stream three-year BECE academic year, the school for the　deaf took four years to prepare the children for their final-year examination.

“This is so in view of the nature of the low pace of study of the students”, he explained, adding two blind　pupils were among the successful candidates in the 2010-2011 BECE, with three among those who took　part in the just ended 2011-2012 exams.

Mr. Addai-Poku lauded the untiring efforts of the teaching and administrative staff of the school and　commended the students, saying it was through the sterling performance of the three categories of the school that had lifted the school high academically.

July 13, GNA - Nana Yaa Abrafi Bonsu, Executive Director of Redemption Care International, an NGO, has advised parents against disowning their physically challenged children.

She noted with regret in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Sunyan on Thursday that a lot of　parents neglected such children and left them in the care of their grand mothers who struggled to take care of them.

Such children. she noted, were often abandoned in schools for the disabled by their parents who give wrong　addresses and telephone numbers so they could not be traced.

Nana Abrafi said it was never the fault of such children to be born in such conditions, which could be　caused by the mothers taking medicines or concoctions during pregnancy.

She said physically challenged children are very clever and intelligent and with a little assistance they could　be groomed to become useful citizens.

The Executive Director explained there were a lot of schools in the country where such children could be　educated or assisted to acquire skills and knowledge to help them develop.

Nana Abrafi entreated parents to go for their children from school during vacations and at the weekends　to spend time with them so they could also enjoy life especially with family members.

She advised parents to provide correct information and addresses about themselves so they could be　contacted when the need arose.

Nana Abrafi entreated mothers to accept such children and to take very good care of them, since such　children “rather bring blessings to a family”.

"It is never a curse for such a child to be born and live in a family since they also have a right to live and　enjoy all the necessities in life," she said.

She said parents should rather be proud by showing love to children with disabilities so others in the　society would also follow suit.

Nana Abrafi asked parents not to take advantage of such children by allowing them to sit by the road sides　to beg for alms.

She urged the public to refrain from stigmatizing such children, since it could lead to their parents, who　might be affected emotionally, to dump or poison such children “in order to have a peace of mind”.

She said parents should be aware that any attempt to end the life of any physically challenged child could　land them in trouble since children after birth were not only for them but also the state.

Disabled International Foundation -Sierra Leone Consoles President Koroma and family

The founder and Director of Disabled International ? Sierra Leone, Imambay Kadie Kamara and her organization have send deepest condolences to the family of the president, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma for the irreparable loss of their mother Madam Alice R. Koroma (in photo).

Speaking on a personal note and on behalf of her organization, she said she was shocked when she learnt that the president had loss his mother.

“I could not believe that the mother I met a few months ago at Makeni during the launching of my organization - the Disable International Foundation -Sierra Leone could depart so soon -without overstaying her importance”.

“I must say she was without doubt, the most encouraging woman of a mother, I have come across. She showered me with wise words for which I remain grateful and feel proudly connected to the Koroma family”.

“Lo! I am saddened of the fact that her departure misses me the opportunity to meet her again. She would always, without fail, end our telephone conversations with the phrase: ‘God bless you my daughter’ - and for that she would always be in my heart.”

“I would like to pass on few words of encouragement to His Excellency, just as his mother did to me: be strong on this serious test of time. Life is not a bed of roses where one would always like to lay complacently. Add more to your courage and stand the test of time. Remember that we all are alive today because we have to die one day. Our dear mother is gone, but she departed with the joy of our lord, may light perpetual shine on her till the day of reckoning. Remember her always in your prayers as we all will do in our different stages of prayers.

“Lastly, I would like to assure the president that he is not alone in this test of time”.

MEET Clement Yoram Ndahani, a 57 year-old engineer. The husband and father of five graduated from the University of Dar es Salaam in 1982 and worked for Kioo Limited until 2000 when he opted to for self-employment.

But those aspirations where cut short in 2005 when his world literally went dark. In 2005 and at the age of 50, Mr Ndahani went blind after suffering from glaucoma.

This is an eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged and can permanently damage vision in the affected eye(s) and lead to blindness. It is normally associated with increased fluid pressure in the eye.

To many this would have been a devastating blow and indeed for a while it was for Mr Ndahani. Losing his sight at such an advanced age meant that he could no longer put his education and acquired skills to use, that is to say, he could no longer work and provide for his family.

Mr Ndahani, however, says that he is thankful that he had two priceless possessions, a wife and family that never gave up on him and his will and resolve to accept what he could not change and desire to continue living as normal a life as possible. He now works at the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) as a technologist after learning how to read and write in Braille in 2009 at the Tanzania Society for the Blind (TBS).

"What helped me was the desire to pass on the knowledge I have to others, so I decided to apply for a postgraduate diploma in Education at OUT but I could not afford to pay the tuition, when I sought assistance, someone suggested that I should apply for a job instead," he says.

That someone was Mr Cosmas Mnyanyi, Coordinator of the Assistive Technology Unit at Open University. Among thethings that the unit has managed to introduce is a technology to assist people with visual disabilities to learn and ultimately use ICT applications independently.

With the help of Sightsavers and Tanzania Education Authority (TEA), the unit has started using screen readers and has thus far trained 15 people to become trainers of trainers (TOT) of the technology. A screen reader is a software application that attempts to identify and interpret what is being displayed on the screen (or, more accurately, sent to standard output, whether a video monitor is present or not).

This interpretation is then re-presented to the user with text-to-speech, sound icons, or a Braille output device. Screen readers are a form of assistive technology (AT) potentially useful to people who are blind, visually impaired, illiterate or learning disabled. Mr Mnyanyi notes that the country's education system has for many years not taken into consideration people with visual disabilities in terms of teaching methods.

"Pupils and students who cannot see suffer a lot because they are in many instances regarded like ordinary students, this affects their performances and that's why we are keen to ensure that assistive technologies get to as many disabled people as possible," he said.

Mr Mnyanyi further says that use of the software is relative new in the country and even fewer people know how to use it. He says conception of the idea at OUT started in 2009 but prior to that they conducted a study on students with visual disabilities who were using typewriters and observed that they had been underperforming.

"We realized that students with visual disabilities underperform because they lack the necessary learning tools and institutions lack teaching methods thus some are forced to spend years in school or colleges and others simply fail and do not continue with their studies," he says.

The technology, among other things, will empower visually disabled individuals by enabling them to work independently, be it school work or office work. One of the beneficiaries of the technology, Mr Amon Anastaz, observes once the technology would be embraced and become common in the country, it would not only enhance the capabilities of people with visual disabilities but also bridge the educational gap between ordinary people attending school and those with disabilities.

Mr Anastaz, an Advocacy Officer with CCBRT who is also blind, says that at the moment statistics of the number of people disabilities getting access to education are vague but still shocking enough to raise concerns. He says that according to the Baseline Survey Report on Persons with Disabilities of 2008, 45 per cent of all persons with disabilities have attended a certain level of education.

As vague as it may be, it still reflects a stark reality of the situation on the ground. The report also states that less than one per cent of Tanzanians with disabilities make to tertiary education. He is of the opinion that if the Ministry for Education and Vocational Training takes the concept seriously and invests in the technology it will enable people with blindness and low vision to access information easily but most importantly it will enhance the performance of students.

"In the long run, embracing this technology fully will also assist people with disabilities in the job market. They will have that competitive edge because they will be guaranteed of fair opportunities,' he said. But making the application a mainstream feature has its challenges. For starters, the software mostly used, Dolphin Pen, is very expensive.

According to the Country Director of Sightsavers, Dr Ibrahim Kabole, the software costs 900 sterling pounds in the open market. However, Dr Kabole says that Sightsavers has an agreement with the provider of the software and they can purchase it for as little as 110 pounds, which is still not a small amount to many.

The other challenge is that to be able to continue using the application without forgetting its usage, people with disabilities need to have access to a laptop at all times. Most of them cannot afford to possess and maintain a laptop without outside help. But Mr Mnyanyi remains optimistic and says that at the moment they as an institution want to scale up the training of trainers and other individuals.

This is because there is a serious shortage of people who are aware of the technology and during the training conducted last year, the trainer was sent in from Kenya. He says that when more and more people become aware of the application and its importance, it will start to be used in various offices and other establishments to accommodate people with visual disabilities.

"The other problem is that in primary schools we use Kiswahili, so we want to start research on how to be able to make Kiswahili users to make use of the application which is in English," he said. As for now, Mr Anastaz says he is using the programme in pursuing his Masters' Degree and finds the studying experience rather satisfying and less demanding as when he was doing his undergraduate degree in law.

Then, he had to depend on someone to do the reading for him but that is now a thing of a bygone era for him. And he hopes it will soon be the same for many others like him. For Mr Ndahani, the sky is the limit now.

National women's leader for the Sierra Leone Peoples Party SLPP, Isata Jabbie-Kabbah, has yesterday disclosed that the party will offer free symbols to women, youths and people with disabilities in a bid to assist grassroots women that lack the money to participate in national politics as the party now has a gender policy that has been adopted during its last national executive conference.

"Money will not be the matter but capability," she said adding that they have held a confab over the weekend to sensitize women, particularly Members of Parliament, councilors and other aspirants. "I am calling on all other political parties to do the same for women not to pay for symbols," she urged.

Ms. Jabbie-Kabbah maintained that the SLPP plans to empower women during the electioneering campaign adding that the 2012 election will be mainly for women.

Speaking to former Deputy Minister for Social Welfare Gender and Children Affairs, Memunatu M. Koroma, now a deputy national campaign manager for the SLPP and a would-be aspirant, she said the conference organized by the SLPP women was beneficial to them as it gave them the opportunity to interact and build a strong campaign team within women.

District treasurer in Kailahun, who is also aspiring for the district chairperson seat in Kailahun, said she learnt a lot from the conference especially on the election guidelines.

The management of the Brikama Area Council (BAC) Thursday handed over a cheque for D20, 000 to the Gambia Association of Deaf and Hard of Hearing(GADHOH) branch in Brikama, West Coast Region. Handing over the cheque at his office, Sunkary Badjie, the chairman of BAC, assured the GADHOH WCR branch of his Council's continuous support and collaboration.

The public relations officer (PRO) of the Brikama Area Council, Modou Jonga, disclosed that the presentation of the said amount is part of the annual financial subvention that BAC gives to GADHOH WCR branch. He noted that there is an increase in the financial subvention to GADHOH this year from D15, 000 to D20, 000. PRO Jonga spoke at length on the longstanding ties between BAC and GADHOH regional office and expressed hope that the donated amount will complement the efforts of the beneficiary in empowering its members.

Receiving the cheque, Karamo Sanneh, regional branch manager of GADHOH, said the subvention would greatly assist his branch in carrying out its development activities in the region and facilitate the running of a nursery school for the deaf and hard of hearing children. While assuring BAC that the money would be put into good use, Sanneh said that part of the funds would also be used to conduct sign language literacy training for members of the association.

Kenyans have been urged to ensure peace and unity ahead of the general election. The National Council for the disabled chair Halake Sosso and Mohamed Guleid, the Isiolo county deputy governor aspirant, blamed conflict and road accidents for the increasing number of the disabled. They were speaking when they presiding over a marathon for the blind at Isiolo stadium yesterday.

Sosso said the communities in the county to learn to co-exist and shun conflict, which causes suffering and retards development. Guleid urged the IEBC to ensure a fair and peaceful poll for the sake of the disabled, adding that the disabled suffer most during conflict. He said all Kenyans to have a duty to ensure peace in the country. During the occasion, the winners were awarded sh 5,000 each in the races they participated in while the second runner up were given sh 2000 and a certificate.

Some of the organizations involved in the plight of the disabled donated wheel chair to more than 20 individuals in the town. At one time the disabled scrambled for the few wheel chair donated by the organizations after they opted to call names of those who had applied leaving behind others.

Yolanda Ndlovu ZimPAS(c) |Harare- Despite being vulnerable to rape and other forms of sexual abuse, disabled people are often overlooked in national HIV prevention strategies because policy makers do not perceive them as sexually active, representatives of disabled groups said on Tuesday.

“If we look at the current National Aids Strategic Plan for 2008 to 2015, it fails to mention people living with disabilities and they are not deliberately targeted in the national response,” Hamida Ismail of the Disability, HIV and AIDS Trust (DHAT) told audiences at a Food for Thought discussion session held at the United States Embassy’s Public Affairs Section Auditorium.

She said the unavailability of disaggregated national statistics with specific numbers of people living with disabilities made their plight worse. However, she said, the percentage of disabled people living positively was very high.

“There are gaps in terms of the supportive networks. We have the Zimbabwe Network for Persons Living Positively with HIV (ZNNPP+), but these do not cater for many disabled yet we have a very high number of people with disabilities living with HIV,” said Ismail who made her full presentation in sign language.

She applauded the progress done by HIV service organisations in Zimbabwe to raise awareness and reduce HIV prevalence, but pointed out that these were not targeting the disabled.

“The National Aids Council has come up with good strategies but people with disabilities don’t know about them ― they are not informed and are not targeted,” she said.

Ismail challenged organisations to use human-rights based interventions for the disabled living with HIV. She highlighted that their help was limited, however, and at times they failed to come through on promises.

She said the Disability Grant provided by the government was inadequate and the process of acquiring the funding was too cumbersome for disabled people resulting in deserving individuals failing to access the money.

“The government has come up with really good programmes [like] the Cash Transfer Programme where they are giving people with disabilities $20 a month, but one has to go through a rigorous process to get the money. As a result, a significant portion of the disabled fail to access the funding.”

Apart from being excluded from national HIV/Aids programmes, Ismail highlighted challenges including stigma, discrimination, and high levels of poverty especially in the rural areas. She noted the disabled often face a lack of confidentiality at voluntary counselling and testing centres due to the presence of an interpreter.

“Communities are not sensitized, even health workers have a general assumption that disabled people are asexual (and) unfortunately the judiciary has not been sensitized, they don’t know how to defend women and girls with disabilities who have been raped,” she said.

She said these challenges could be overcome by developing disability-friendly information that the disabled could understand, particularly for the blind and deaf.

DHAT was established in 2007 to promote the rights and capacity of Persons with Disabilities infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. Ismali said the organisation had started working with the Population.

ZimPAS is a product of the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section. Comments and queries should be directed to Jillian Bonnardeaux, Acting Public Affairs Officer, hararepas@state.gov, Url: http://harare.usembassy.gov

Tagged: Human Rights, Legal Affairs, NGO, Southern Africa
18 JULY 2012, allAfrica

In May this year, I was one of six people who spent two days at the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria interviewing shortlisted candidates in order to select the ten who would be sponsored to undertake a Master's degree in disability rights law.

The applicants came from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Ghana and Mozambique and had undergone a vigorous shortlisting process that reduced their number from 45 to 18. The interviews reduced the numbers to the final ten people - who will form Africa's first ever pool of graduates specialising in disability rights.

This initiative is a joint project between a number of Open Society Foundations (OSF) programmes - the Disability Rights Initiative, the Scholarships Programme, the Higher Education Support Programme and the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) - and is part of a concerted effort to promote and protect the rights of people with disabilities in southern Africa.

A study undertaken by OSF in 2010 covering nine countries in southern Africa provided evidence that the field of disability rights was severely underfunded and that the disability movement was not focusing on access to justice and rights promotion issues but rather on welfarist approaches to disability - and convinced OSF of the overwhelming need to support disability rights in the region.

Not a single university in the region was offering a speciality field of disability rights law resulting in a dearth of legal practitioners able to provide specialised legal assistance, aid and advice to people with disabilities.

Litigation as an advocacy tool for people with disabilities was also virtually non-existent. Donors were not investing in the field and disability rights organisations were unable to access funding.

This situation resulted in the most marginalised of communities remaining on the periphery of society, unable to access their rights, through both a lack of knowledge and an inability to use any structures that would provide the necessary support and knowledge to enable them to participate as active citizens and community members.

The extent of the difficulties and challenges faced by people with disabilities in the region - and the tenacity and determination required to overcome them - was encapsulated by one of the Masters candidates.

He had not managed to complete his undergraduate bachelor of commerce degree because, although his marks were good, he had not completed the income tax component and so his degree could not be awarded. We asked him why this particular subject eluded him. He told us that the University of Zimbabwe where he studies did not have provision for materials in Braille thus he passed his other subjects by getting a fellow student or friend to read the text books to him. He memorised them and then did his exams. But there was no-one who was able to read the income tax text book to him so he could not achieve his commerce degree.

This same man had brought a case to the High Court in Zimbabwe challenging electoral provisions that said that people with disabilities had to be assisted to vote thus meaning that their vote would never be secret. He won the case with the court ordering that disabled people are entitled to bring a person of their choice to assist them in casting a ballot rather than having an unknown presiding or polling officer do it on their behalf. He had worked tirelessly advocating for disability rights, yet one of the most basic, access to education, was out of his reach.

The project to provide disability rights scholarships attempts to address this injustice. It provides for full Masters tuition at universities such as McGill, Leeds, Galway, Cardiff and the American University in DC. On return to their home countries, the students will work in organisations and fields as diverse as the Human Rights Commission, film and production, AU and SADC structures, civil society organisations, the Reserve Bank and private legal practice all focusing on disability rights.

Not all the successful students have disabilities but all of them have indicated a strong commitment to disability work in their everyday lives.
It is evident that their pursuit of further studies in this area of speciality is premised upon passion and a desire to provide access to justice and the protection and promotion of human rights for people living with disabilities.

And a core of dedicated professionals committed to the field of disability rights is sorely needed. Since entering the disability rights arena two years back it has been my experience that the movement on the continent is composed of a few individuals and organisations that do not see this work as a job but rather as a fundamental component of how they live their lives. It is under resourced, both in terms of finances and human expertise, skills and knowledge and the contribution that the OSF foundations and network programmes are making is a strong investment in a future generation of disability activists.

My initial interest in supporting disability rights work was sparked by anecdotal evidence that was presented to us by one of our partners in Mozambique. Terezinha da Silva from WLSA said that they had alarming reports of women being restrained in northern Mozambique as the community and family regarded them as witches. These women had psycho-social disabilities but since they were regarded as being "other" there was a perception that they needed to be restrained and were thus spending their days tied up in a yard.

They were poor, lived in a remote rural part of the country, had no access to support structures, were women and had a disability. Access to justice and rights protection would be essential to assist people who were in similar situations in the region. And sadly there are far too many.

Our initial support, which began in 2010, provided grants to universities in the region to provide a specialised disability rights course as part of the law degree and to ensure that law graduates were able to provide effective legal services for people with disabilities. Today we have legal aid clinics and disability rights programmes in three universities in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwean and Malawian clinics are in rural parts of the country. Each university has over 20 students undertaking a six month disability rights course as part of their law degree and they work in the legal aid clinic.
In 2012 they will be joined by universities in Zambia and Botswana.

They also work closely with the national disability movement in their countries in outreach activities and on advocacy initiatives to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) or on domestication efforts. Currently a project we are supporting in Zambia has a number of disability rights organisations revising that country's Disability Act and Mental Health Act to ensure that it is in line with the provisions of the CRPD.

Their relationship with the state is a good one and they have been able to achieve much with the positive political will to legislate for the protection of the rights of people with disabilities. In the countries where we work capacity has been created and on-going rights based initiatives are being sustained.

One of the important advocacy tools that OSF uses to advance a rights based agenda is litigation and a component of our work, undertaken with the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, is to identify potential strategic litigation. Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana and Malawi have all presented interesting opportunities.

These cases focus on inclusive education, non-discrimination in the workplace and access to job opportunities and access to legal remedies for women with disabilities who are sexually abused. Currently work is being undertaken to initiate cases in national jurisdictions (with our in-country disability rights partners) that advance the rights of people with disabilities. There is potential to litigate before the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights on independent living and the right to be included in the community.

In February this year, while meeting with staff at the King George VI School for children and people with disabilities, we were told about the case of T who had been sexually abused and raped. As a disabled woman she faces every obstacle the system is able to throw at one; the criminal justice system is dysfunctional; there is no provision for assistance for disabled people when giving evidence; she cannot afford a lawyer; legal aid is virtually non-existent; and, most difficult of all, the stigma and stereotyping that one faces when you have a disability is debilitating.

Yet she persevered and insisted on giving evidence in court. Our project assisted her and provided a sign language interpreter that she was comfortable with. She made an outstanding witness and the accused was convicted. T had her justice.

And we had another indication of the impact that our disability rights work in southern Africa can have - illustrating how initiatives to advance the rights of people with disabilities are producing results that benefit people in their everyday lives, change attitudes and promote understanding of the incredible challenges that disabled people face.

Maputo ― A court in the central Mozambican city of Beira on Friday found the former editor of the electronic newsheet "O Autarca", Falume Chabane, guilty of libelling the private Beira International Primary School (BIPS) and its lawyer, Antonio Ucocho, and sentenced him to a prison term of 16 months, suspended for three years.

Chabane was also ordered to pay compensation of 75,000 meticais to the school and the same amount to Ucocho - a total equivalent to about 5,350 US dollars. For a Mozambican journalist, this is a huge sum, although it is considerably less than the 600,000 meticais that Ucocho had originally demanded.

Chabane's offence was to write a daily column in the paper in solidarity with Aisling Binda, a ten year old disabled child who was excluded from the school because of her disability.

The specifics of the charges against Chabane are not entirely clear, since the judge ordered that the case be held behind closed doors.

The issue goes back to early 2011, when the school, which is run by a group of Americans, moved Aisling to a class on the first floor. Since there was no ramp, Aisling, who depends on a wheelchair, was unable to attend her new class. "O Autarca" suggested that Aisling's class should have remained on the ground floor.

"O Autarca" waged a campaign of solidarity with Aisling. Every day Chabane's column on the case noted how many days Aisling had been denied her right to education. Chabane claims that all he had done was "open a space for solidarity with the child".

The school's behaviour towards Aisling was criticised by the Mozambican Human Rights League (LDH), by child advocacy groups, by much of the Mozambican press and by the Sofala Provincial Government. The Sofala Provincial Directorate of Education intervened and issued an opinion in favour of Aisling, saying that the school should readmit her, but the Americans instead appealed to the Administrative Tribunal, which suspended the Education Directorate's ruling.

Mozambican policy is that, wherever possible, disabled children should study alongside other children of the same age, and that schools should be built taking into account the needs of the disabled. Thus a government decree of December 2008 states that any new schools must include ramps to allow wheelchair-bound children to reach their classes.

Two years later, building work took place at the Beira International Primary School, and no ramp or lift was included that would allow disabled children to reach the first floor.

On leaving the court on Friday, Ucocho told the Beira daily paper "Diario de Mocambique" that "justice has been done". He claimed that the court verdict "has tried to clear the name of the BIPS and my name, which had been heavily besmirched".

The Standard Digital News
Updated Tuesday, July 24 2012 at 00:00 GMT+3 By Oscar Pilipili

Kenyan runners finished fourth overall during the 2012 World Deaf Athletics Championships held in Toronto, Canada. Russia dominated the games to win the overall title with 42 medals that were made up of 22 gold, 26 silver and 15 bronze.

Belrus came third on 1 medals (5-4-5) followed by Kenya in the fourth position (4-4-2) and USA (4-4-2). Kenya was the only African country among the top 10 overall finishers.

Japan managed three gold, two silver and bronze to finish sixth followed by Cuba (3-0-2) and Poland (1-1-1) and Estonia (0-1-2). Middle distance runner and captain Baxton Menjo led Team Kenya from the front winning two gold.

He won 800m race 1:52.26 and completed his double by clinching 1,500m in 3:48.69 that was new world record time. Daniel Kiptum extended Kenya’s gold tally to three after he led teammates to 1-2-3 glittering finish in 10,000m.

David Kosgei crossed the finish line in second position in 30:18.03, while Peter Torotich was third in 30:18.03. Sprinter David Wamira started the medal chase when he finished runner-up in men’s 200m in 27.
16 as his sister Beryl Atieno clinched gold and silver after she won 200m in 24.76 and finished second in 100m in 12.34.

Team manager Tom Okiki claimed that Kenyans could have won more medals but biased officiating frustrated their efforts in Toronto.He said: “ Race officials were biased and they practiced racism. They disqualified us from competing 5000m, 400m and 4 x 400m relay.”

“They accused our athletes in these races of false start and we didn’t see it happen,” he said. According to Okiki, most of the participating countries felt sorry for Kenya for missing out of the races.

“Most countries sympathized with Kenya and were convinced that the track and field officials were against us,” Okiki said in a statement yesterday. The team was scheduled to return home last night.

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope youe all had a blessed weekend. S. To most people, including yours truly, Sunday is a special day to connect with the Almighty. I find nothing wrong with that.

Actually, the weekend was pretty hectic for me. I attended a friend's 31st birthday party on Saturday and on Sunday I was at the Tabernacle of Grace, where the theme was what Apostle Batsirai Java called "the invisible war".

Taken from the book of Job, the "invisible war" is one in which God is seeking to restore whatever Satan has stolen from you. But, as usual, I will not go into detail lest I spark another war of words. albeit an invisible one.

Unlike my colleague Isdore Guvamombe, I don't have the shock absorbers of a grader. Ha ha ha!

With that I shall move on to the business of the day. ZBCTV is screening a programme called "Action Power". Basically, the programme is the first deaf television show presented by the deaf. It's a great show in that it gives us an insight into how deaf people relate to each other and their own culture.

The programme is quite revealing in that it focuses on real stories told by the deaf but affecting all the people.

Directed by veteran theatre practitioner and actor Obrian Mudyiwenyana, the programme is aired every Tuesday starting at 7.30pm.

Some of the people involved in the production are Lincoln Matongo, Lovemore Chidemo and Agnes Chindimba. If you want to know more about the deaf tune in to the programme and you won't miss a thing.

Well, Big Brother StarGame is now heading towards its climax and what a journey it has been! I know Roki and Maneta blew Zimbabwe's chances after their fracas which earned them the red card. But the beauty of this reality show is that even if your country is not represented you are still able to follow the show and be entertained.

After all, Big Brother is just a game. So during Sunday's Eviction Show Zimbabweans were happy to see Davies Mugadza of Power FM rocking on the decks on Saturday and then on Sunday.

I have seen DJs from other countries and I was impressed by Davies' performance on the night.

However, Big Brother StarGame fans bade farewell to Uganda's Keitta and what a big surprise it was. But it was not just Keitta who took the walk of shame, Alex from Kenya was also evicted from the house.

>From the look of things it appears Lady May is a strong contender for this seas seven of Big Brother StarGame. Need I say more!

A management and stakeholders’ forum on gender and disability, yesterday, opened in Accra. About 30 participants are attending the two- day workshop.

The objective of the workshop is to collate views and suggestions that will aid the drafting of a comprehensive policy to guide activities and programmes geared towards alleviating the plight of women and Persons with Disability.

In a keynote address, the Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Dr Omana-Boamah, reiterated government’s commitment to the promotion of policies that will take into account the special and specific needs of all including Persons with Disability (PWDs) and women.

Dr Omane-Boamah noted that government’s performance was best measured by how well it catered for the under-privileged segment of the population.

Government, the Deputy Minister said, was, therefore, committed to the adoption of more proactive measures that would provide lasting solutions to the challenges facing the disabled segment of the population through the widening of opportunities for employment.

Dr Omane-Boamah said the Ministry of Youth and Sports had taken steps to source funds from the World Bank and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) to support initiatives aimed at creating jobs for PWDs.

He disclosed that the Ministry was also considering the creation of a gender and disability department to better deal with the gender and disability dimension of development.

Welcoming participants to the workshop, Mr Pele Abuga, National Co- ordinator of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP), noted that though gender mainstreaming had been given a lot of attention in development planning over the decades, the same could not be said of gender and disability in particular.

Mr Abuga, therefore, pledged the preparedness of the NYEP to partner with and support any individual or organisation committed to the socio- economic improvement of persons with disabilities and women through mentoring and any other way possible.

COCHLEAR implantation, the surgical insertion of a highly sophisticated electronic device into the inner part of the human ear to restore hearing is a new technology which reached Kenya recently. This procedure is able to restore hearing to the deaf. Chairman of the Cochlear Organisation of Kenya Muthure Macharia said even though the technology has been in the West since the 1980s, it was not available in Kenya making it very expensive for those seeking treatment abroad.

The accessibility of professionals involved such as Consultant Ear Nose and Throat surgeons, Consultant Audiologists, Speech and Language Therapists. Professor Macharia and other cochlear implantation consultants were speaking at the Nairobi Hospital during an open day held on July 27 to enlighten the public on the existence of the technology in Kenya. In February the first cochlear implant surgeries were done in Kenya where two children and an adult underwent the procedure, making medical history in Kenya. The professionals said more Kenyans should seek the service to enable them live normal lives.

TAGS:
BizanaEastern CapeNelson MandelaThe Justice and Constitutional Development DepartmentSchool shoesBlankets

Visually impaired learners from Bizana in the Eastern Cape were given the gift of shoes as part of Nelson Mandela month. Until now most walked to school barefooted.

Today, the Justice and Constitutional Development Department handed out shoes and blankets to the needy learners as part of the Nelson Mandela Day which is celebrated globally on July 18, but initiatives have been continuing. People are urged to do good for others by dedicating 67minutes of their time to helping those less fortunate - this symbolises the years the former president served in prison whilst fighting for freedom.

The learners In Bizana are crippled by circumstances. Some are orphans and others live on the streets but, today is a special day as they have new shoes and blankets.

Learner Nomephelo Msihlelwa says: "We have no parents at home and some of the other children are living on the streets."

Educational resources for the visually impaired pupils are scarce. Teacher, Andiswe Tshukwa says: “We need braille, computers and IT teachers.”

For more than 10-years the school has struggled to connect with the outside world. There are no telephones or internet connectivity.

This year the South African deaf community in partnership with SABC3 and Dtv, the only deaf magazine programme on national TV, invites viewers to be part of Zwakala, the national deaf poetry and drama competition.

Zwakala coincides with International Deaf Awareness week, and serves as a tool to create awareness of this silent minority that is cut off from the hearing world due to prejudice, lack of tolerance and understanding.

Dtv’s national poetry and drama competition for deaf learners reach all the schools for the deaf in South Africa. It provides a platform where deaf youth can express their feelings, their fears, and their hopes through the performing arts.

Dali Mpofu, the then GCEO of the SABC, says: “We all know that people with disabilities are often victims of neglect and abuse. This is a direct attack on their human dignity. We are committed to, not only providing basic facilities for the deaf community, but to fight together to restore their human dignity.”

>From 2008 to 2010 Zwakala grew to be a strong brand supported by the Department of Arts and Culture, Deafsa and Pansalb. In 2009/10 Zwakala won the Pansalb multilingual award for the promotion and development of South African sign language on television.

As director of Deaf Education Ingrid Parkin said: “The improvement in the output quality of this year’s contestants in comparison with last year’s was astounding and this bears testimony to the fact that Zwakala is fuelling the development of deaf South African storytellers and poets. It will go from strength to strength, of that I am sure.”

Maybe the best proof of the success of Zwakala is that 2008 winner, Darren Rajbal, went on to win SA’s Got Talent, a mainstream competition. In 2011 the Zwakala song was launched. Performed by Mango Groove and signed by Candice Morgan, Dtv gives the deaf of the world its first struggle song which acknowledges the struggle following the 1880 Milan congress and gives hope for the future.

Minister of Public Service and Administration Lindiwe Sisulu has taken over as patron of Zwakala, thus keeping the Sisulu legacy alive.

This year Dtv has chosen a strong panel of judges, all experts in their field. The judges are: Modiegi Moime - SASL coordinator, John West - actor and photographer and Khabonina Qubeka - actor and presenter The regional judging session will be taking place on 6 August at Postmasters, 24 Ditton Avenue Auckland Park at 18h30.

AllAfrica.com
Tagged: Business, East Africa, Governance, Human Rights, Kenya, Legal Affairs BY MARTIN MWAURA, 1 AUGUST 2012

A group of people living with disabilities in Mombasa yesterday stormed the district's Gender and Social Development office protesting delays in getting their monthly allowances.

Activities at the Bima Towers, which houses the office, were temporarily halted after the group demanded audience with the officer in charge.
Guards manning the offices had a hard time controlling the irate group that forced its way inside the offices.

Led by Fred Meja, the secretary for the Mombasa Disabled Network, the group said: "We have visited this office several times. We have filed various proposals but we are not getting any money." The group questioned the manner in which the funds were being distributed. "We wonder what the function of this office is if they cannot take care of persons with disabilities as they are mandated," said Meja "At times we receive Sh2,000, other times more. Just what are we supposed to receive?
It is not clear and we know there are some fishy deals going through this office."

However the official in charge at the rebuffed the allegations and said most persons with disabilities have been receiving their allowance on time. "We do registration of persons with disabilities on an individual basis. Then we forward to the national council of persons with disabilities. Most of you have been receiving this money, "said Patrick Mmbano.

Mmbano however refused to talk further to the members gathered at his office. "I cannot speak to you as a mob. I only need to talk to your representatives," said Mmbano adding that the matter was being handled by another office. The National Development Fund for Persons with Disabilities (NDFPWD), a State corporation,which came into being after president Kibaki assented to the Disabilities act 2003, is tasked with disbursing the funds allocated to persons living with disabilities.

Kenya is home to about 4.5 million people with various forms of disabilities, but the figure could be higher since many parents hide their disabled children to avoid social stigma. The PWD's called on the Gender, children and social development Ministry to intervene on their behalf so that they could get their allowance. "The only option remaining is for Esther Murugi to intervene on our behalf. We have nowhere else to head to," said Meja. The group vowed to visit all relevant government offices till their pleas were heard.

A cross section of people with disabilities yesterday converged at NEC headquarter in a mild protest over the arrest of their colleague Foday Mattia, who spent 6 days in police custody over allegations of double registration.

According to some aggrieved members of the Sierra Leone National Deaf Association (SLNDA) the NEC did not liaise with the association to sensitize members of the deaf association on the laid down policies of the Biometric Voter Registration Process.

The president of SLNDA, Ramatu Sesay, expressed disappointment over NEC officials for not understanding their sign language and they therefore cannot communicate well with members of SLNDA.

She stated that when Mattia was arrested he was beaten by police to make a statement failing to understand that he cannot speak, and his rights, she said, were completely abused.

Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issues (SLUDI) Kabba Franklyn Bangura disclosed that on June 2011 they wrote a letter to NEC on the burning issues relating to special needs that would access the disabled persons the right to vote in the November 17 polls without hindrance.

The letter stated that the visually impaired and deaf persons need fair access to mass voter awareness and communication programs. Therefore they need tactile balloting and training for their members to make them understand the complexities of the BVR process.

He said they are planning to meet NEC officials again to shed light on the same issue on Thursday August 2.

Musha Wedu Housing Cooperative for the Disabled is able to build houses in Caledonia, thanks to a loan from the Ministry of Cooperatives and Community Development.

The housing scheme serves 200 physically challenged members of the community. Never Chikunguwo, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was in identifying the beneficiaries.

He advised them to form a group and join the Disabled Association of Zimbabwe. Stands were identified in Chitungwiza and Caledonia for the purpose of providing shelter for the residents.

The cooperative’s chairperson, Simon Tiyanane, said the group was allocated a three-hectare piece of land within Caledonia.

“We have already started clearing the land and have built four houses so far with loans provided by the Ministry of Cooperatives and Community Development early this year,” said Tiyanane.

He said 10 members had received $6,000 loans to be paid back over five years to build core houses, with construction already underway.

A senior official in the Ministry, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the provisions of the loans and the terms of repayment.

Caledonia, situated about 25km to the east of the capital, is experiencing rapid and uncontrolled expansion as home-seekers throng the area in search of shelter.

Freetown/1st August 2012: The Commissioner of the National Commission for Persons with Disability, Fredrick Kamara (in photo) has on Wednesday 1st August 2012 assured His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma that he will work tirelessly to promote the interests of persons with disability in Sierra Leone.

“The Commission will do its level best to ensure that persons with disabilities become assets of the nation and serve as active members of the society. So, all I want is the full support of the government and all stakeholders”, Commissioner Kamara pleaded with President Koroma.

Presenting members of the Commission to President Koroma at the Presidential Lodge, Hill Station, Commissioner Kamara informed the Head of State that the Commission consists of representatives of eight ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and two international non- governmental organizations.

He told the President that he was impressed with the composition of the Commission, and that he looks forward to the commencement of full operations.

His Excellency Dr Ernest Bai Koroma congratulated Commissioner Frederick Kamara on his assumption of office as head of the National Commission for Persons with Disability.

“I can only say that we have come to the end of the road of the appointment of the Commissioners, as it was a journey of great expectations”, he said.

President Koroma registered government’s fullest dedication towards reforming the lives of persons with disabilities saying; “Sierra Leoneans with disabilities should have equal opportunities.
Opportunities must be created for the disable members of society, and we must send out signals to the whole world that they are indeed Sierra Leoneans, by creating a favourable working environment for specialize knowledge for teaching them, and medical facilities for them to ensure that disables are fully integrated into the society”.

He reiterated government’s commitment to the protection and promotion of the welfare of persons with disabilities adding; “my doors remain open and we must hit the ground running in addressing disability issues and get disables out of the streets, as a good number of them have talents waiting to be tapped”.

President Koroma also said government through the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs will continue to support the National Commission for Persons with Disability.

It would be recalled that the Persons with Disability Act 2011 is an act to establish a National Commission for Persons with Disability, to prohibit discrimination against persons with disability, achieve equalization of opportunities for persons with disability and to provide for their related matters. According to the act, the Commission was established to ensure the well-being of persons with disability.

Minister of the Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Steven Gaoja said, shortly after the official presentation of the Commissioners of the Disability Commission to President Koroma, that the establishment of the Commission was welcome news among very many Sierra Leoneans. “ This government is very much sensitive to the plight of persons with disability. That’s why the law to tackle concerns of disabled people was passed last year by this very responsible and visionary leadership of President Ernest Bai Koroma,” Mr. Gaoja confidently maintained.

AllAfrica.com
Tagged: Governance, Human Rights, Legal Affairs, Sierra Leone, West Africa BY IBRAHIM TARAWALLIE, 2 AUGUST 2012

Some people with disabilities Tuesday staged a peaceful protest at the National Electoral Commission NEC office at Tower Hill for what they say is the electoral body's failure to target persons in their category, especially those that are speech and hearing impaired, in its electoral education processes.

The protest was supported by One Family People OFP and Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issue SLUDI, the national organization that seeks the welfare of persons with disability.

SLUDI Secretary General, Mohamed B. Mansaray, said they had requested for special training from NEC on issues relating to the electioneering process but to no avail.

"The visual impaired and blind persons need tactile balloting and training. The hearing impaired and deaf persons need fair access to mass voter awareness and communication," he said but stressed that the present election education policy did not cater for the blind and the deaf and the blame rests squarely on NEC.

On Monday, One Family People, a non-governmental organization, held a press at SLUDI office where it demanded that the police and NEC immediately release Foday Mattia, a deaf person who was arrested for committing an electoral offence.

OFP Programme Manager, Hadiatu Diallo, said the NGO started operations in 2007 focusing on issues related to persons with disability "through musical drama called the Walpolian."

She expressed disappointment at NEC for failing to put a sign language translator at voter registration centres for the likes of Foday Mattia not to be mistaken and held NEC responsible for his arrest.

However, NEC commissioners including the Chairperson, Dr. Christiana Thorpe, were in a meeting at the time of the protest and could not talk to the protesters but the commission's External Relations Officer stated that they are responsible for sensitizing people on the electoral process and not to train them.

Albert Massaquoi advised the aggrieved group to send a letter to request a meeting with the commissioners including the chairperson because of the gravity of the matter.

AJF会報「アフリカ NOW 」第95号：アフリカの先住民にとってのITの可能性

MONDAY, 06 AUGUST 2012 00:00 BY GBENGA SALAU FEATURES - MEDIA User Rating: / 0 PoorBest

TO help give the right perspectives to reporting issues on people living with disabilities and consistently spotlight them within the society, a three-day workshop on disability reporting was organized by The Lagos Civil Society Disability Policy Partnership with support from the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council.

The workshop with the theme, influencing policy through effective disability reporting, was a mix of practical, interacting and lecture sessions.

At the brief opening ceremony, Dr. Bukola Adebayo, said that the workshop was meant to further cement the relationship between the media and disability civil societies in order for media organizations to mainstream disability in there reporting.

The Chairman of the Lagos Council, Mr. Deji Elumoye, observed that the timing of the workshop is right because so many reporters do not know much about disabilities let alone reporting them.

Speaking on mainstreaming disability in news reportage, Mrs. Emmanuella Akinola, said that it is about highlighting the activities of the society and how it affects persons with disabilities. She further argued that it is about considering issues of disabilities among other societal issues. She suggested that reporters should do less stories of super heroes and victims of people with disabilities but rather look at issues around the events.

In justifying why the society including the media should carry along people with disabilities, Dr. Bukola Adebayo, in his presentation, said that it will not pay any government to continue to abandon people with disabilities because fund that should be used to cater for people with disabilities socially would be higher.

According to him, it is important for the society to pay attention to people living with disabilities and integrate them into the society because poverty and disabilities are close. To him, poverty causes disabilities while disabilities cause poverty.

“It is the poor that does not understand the need to immunize or feed well. They are the people who pay less attention to their health.”

Adebayo, who is a member of the disability society, pleaded with the media to stop reporting issues on people with disabilities from beggarly angle or as a problem but as a prospect.

He further said that the support people with disabilities needs should not be narrowed to medical attentions because they need education, jobs among others.

Adebayo urged the media to help re-orientate the populace as some of the terms being used in describing people with disabilities or issues that on them are products of cultural influences which negatively shapes people’s actions and interaction with people living with disabilities.
He said that while some were born with disabilities, others acquired theirs. He asked two participants to narrate whether they were born or acquired their disabilities.

A woman who acquired the disability of deafness weeks after receiving injection for typhoid fever narrated how her journey into deafness started. According to her, she started experiencing partial deafness after receiving an injection at a clinic where the nurse did not ask her if she had eaten before administering the injection. She said it grew over time and weeks after she became completely deaf.

Mr. Opeoluwa Akinola was born blind. He said that he never became conscious of the blindness until his twin sister started schooling and he could not. This, he said, made his twin sister to start making new friends that he did not see or know. He said that as a blind student, he started school late and was older than every member of his class in secondary while the curriculum was foreign.

Adebayo enjoined media owners to create disability desk in order to help enlighten people about issues with disability thereby helping to integrate people with disability into the society.

For Barrister Daniel Onwe, who spoke on Disability laws and other frameworks, for effective implementation of the disability laws and for the law to make the necessary impact, the Office of the Disability Affairs (ODA) created by the Lagos State Government must be very proactive.

Luanda - The Angolan minister of National Defence, Candido Pereira Van-Dunem, will visit on Tuesday the military disabled centre, located in the commune of Funda, Cacuaco district.

The government minister, according to a source of this institution, will learn about the issues related to social problems facing the disabled, with a view to solve them.

Currently, the centre accommodates over 4,000 disabled soldiers of war with their families.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs in collaboration with One Family People (OFP), yesterday launched the simplified version of the Person with Disability Act of 2011 at the St. Anthony’s Parish Hall in Freetown.

The reader friendly version of the Act is in the form of a handbook and it aims at raising awareness on disability rights and what persons with disabilities can do to contribute to societal development.

Officially launching the handbook, Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Steven Ngauja said the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disability was very significant. He said that the Commission was established with the collaborative efforts of partners in line with President Koroma’s vision for equality for all.

Mr. Ngauja added that since the Commission was established, it has been involved in series of meetings with its Commissioners. The Minister noted that the Ministry has decided that the Commission will be an autonomous and an independent body.

He said that if the Commission is to meet its requirements, it needs resources and support to be able to protect persons with disability.

Francis Munu, Inspector General of Police, said that the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) is one of the key institutions that will make the Act work because they deal with compliance. He said that as soon as the Act was passed, the police included in their in its recruitment scheme, persons with disability and that in the current training school there are a good number of persons with disability.

Michael Owen, USA Ambassador to Sierra Leone on behalf of the Government and people of the United States of America pledged support to the Disability Commission.

Heather Robinson, Attache at the British High Commission said the new Commission and the Disability Act “will help to allow people with disability to take part in civic life; preventing discrimination in education, employment, ensuring access to electoral processes and implementing affirmative action in a number of areas to overcome obstacles and barriers, including access to public facilities, transport, health and justice,” he said.

Beatriz Balbin, Chief Human Rights Officer, UNIPSIL said that for a long time the rights of persons with disabilities in Sierra Leone have not been given the necessary attention. She said that the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities fulfils the requirements of the Act and the Convention but that “this is just the beginning of the work ahead,” he noted.

Hadiatou Diallo, Program Manager, One Family People said the OFP started work in 2007 operating specifically in the Western Area. She explained that they engage directly with Disable Persons organizations and persons with disabilities that are on the streets and in homes across Freetown.

She said that since its inception, it has championed the issues of disability especially of women and girls and according to her; this has empowered the women by developing their creative and musical talents.

Ms. Diallo said that for persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, learning about their rights can help combat discrimination when it occurs and strengthen advocacy efforts to avoid same in the future.

She thanked the International Child Development Initiative (ICDI), the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Plan Netherlands and other partners for their support to make the project a reality.

Bangali Mansaray, Secretary General of the Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issues (SLUDI), thanked partners for supporting the inspiration of disabled persons.

Jamestina King, Commissioner, Human Rights Commission called on the government and members of the Disability Commission to make sure that adequate resources and technical support are given to the Commission.

Thomas Alieu, Director for the Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired who chaired the launching said that putting together a simplify version of laws protecting disability persons is a laudable venture.

Musical entertainment by the Walpoleans climaxed the launching By Abibatu Kamara

He achieved national fame when he won SA’s Got Talent and the grand prize of R250 000 in 2009.

On Saturday night this talented 21-year-old hip-hop dancer from Durban will feature as one of the performers at The Unforgettable Experience at Sibaya Casino, an event hosted by the KZN Blind and Deaf Society to demonstrate the talents possessed by those visually and hearing impaired.

Rajbal will be accompanied by Leandra Moodley, a 15-year-old from Phoenix, who also loves dancing and has dreamed of dancing with Rajbal from the time she saw him on SA’s Got Talent.

“He inspires me to be better because I can hear but I can’t dance as well as he does,” she said.

Moodley, who met Rajbal in person three weeks ago, said she had been trying to trace her role-model down for ages. She used Facebook as a channel to connect with Rajbal and tonight she will experience her dream come true as she dances with him at The Unforgettable Experience.

Today he will share the stage with legendary singer Stephen Kekana, who was visually impaired since the age of five, and many others. The Unforgettable Experience will start at 7.30pm at Sibaya Casino’s Izulu Theatre and tickets for the show are R100 at Computicket.

Frazer Potani, AfricaNews reporter in Lilongwe, Malawi Just have a picture that you are a young woman who was born with a disability but an ambitious girl aiming high, at going to a nursing college after completing primary and secondary school to join your country's few nurses dressed in white uniform to treat patients in your country's short staffed public hospitals. However, your dream gets aborted and you get enclosed in a coffin after an early premature death following a long illness linked to HIV and AIDS after contracting the virus through a defilement ordeal.

Now stop imagining! This actually happened to the late Silvia then 14 years old, from a village in Phalombe District, southern Malawi.

It was not an easy road for the girl since she went through thick and thin experiences soon after her birth.

When her father discovered that neither of Silvia’s legs functioned properly, he divorced her mother just a few months after her birth.

“I was told by my grandmother that my father dumped my mother and married another woman after vowing that he could not be a father of a crippled child like me, saying someone else must have impregnated my mother,” said Silvia in an interview before her death about five months later.

She died in late April this year as recently Elestina Khumbanyiwa, 68 [a neighbour to the deceased] explained.

“Silvia died two months after a long illness. She died after her grandmother who was taking care of the girl died in February this year. The old woman was 85 while her grand daughter was 15,” said Khumbanyiwa.

After being divorced by her husband, Silvia's mother brought her up alone until the girl was six.

As if not enough the girl’s mother also died following a long battle with breast cancer.

After her mother’s death Silvia went to live with her late grandmother, who was then the only one in the extended family willing to accommodate and care for the girl while other family members rejected her.

“My dream is to after school become a nurse to treat the sick and I am doing all I can until I accomplish my dream. My grandmother used to carry me on her back to drop me at school, and again collect me after classes," she said then during the interview in December last year.

But after turning 10, the determined girl told her grandmother not to bother carrying her to and from school.

“I told her that she should not bother anymore since I would be managing through crawling alongside the other schoolchildren in my village,” said Silvia then.

However, one day her friends left her behind after school and on her way back home, a 45-year-old man from her village who had been suffering from AIDS related infections for a long time dragged her to a nearby bush and raped her.

Despite being diagnosed HIV positive, the man believed his uncle had bewitched him after the two quarrelled over a piece of land some months before his illness started.

The sick man visited a "witch doctor," who gave him a concoction to drink and thereafter, advised him to have sex with any woman with disability, regardless of her age.

He was told that having sex with a woman with disability would cleanse the deadly virus from his body, curing him of HIV and AIDS related infections completely.

A week after undergoing the traumatic experience, with support from some villagers, Silvia plucked out her courage from its sticking place by reporting the matter to the police and the hospital.

The law-enforcers then promised to investigate the matter and bring the suspect to book to face the law.

But the man who had defiled her committed suicide soon after being tipped that the police were tracking him for the alleged crime he had committed against the girl. By then, the girl had already contracted HIV from the rape.

Lucky enough however, she was then on anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, along with over 400,000 other patients on the same treatment in Malawi.

According to the United Nations (UN) disability is a functional limitation that may occur in any population in any country worldwide.

The organisation adds that disability may be permanent or transitory, and can be physical, intellectual or sensory impairment, a medical condition or mental illness.

In Malawi just like in most countries in southern Africa and Sub Saharan Africa, crisis that also barr societies from social, economic and human development at all levels for example hunger, poverty, illiteracy disease including HIV and AIDS infringe more pains on women than men. But several studies also reveal that among the women folk themselves such crisis affects more disabled women than their other women counterparts in general.

A study by Norwegian researchers Marit Hoem Kvam and Stine Hellum Braathen from the Oslo based SINTEF Health Research in Malawi for example, shows that violence and abuse against women with disabilities in the southern African nation is common yet many such cases go unreported.

“Women with disabilities are more likely to be subjected to violations of human rights than women without disabilities," the researchers say adding, “And much indicates that the violence and abuse is hidden. There is a lot of stigma and shame connected to sexuality and disability, as well as neglect of women with disabilities in Malawi.”

Sigere Kasasi is the Executive Director for Disabled Women in Development (DIWODE), an organisation tirelessly working to empower women with disabilities at all levels. She admitted that the revelations in the study reflect the reality on the ground.

“Women with disabilities are very prone to violence and due to their various disabilities, it can be very difficult for them to defend themselves against any aggressor," she explained.

Kasasi disclosed that many women with disability face double discrimination, arising from being women first and also in having a disability.

“As a result this places them at a disadvantage, making them prone to marginalisation and a vicious cycle of deprivation leaving them susceptible to abuse," she said.

In another study ‘Disability and HIV/AIDS - a systematic review of literature on Africa' by Jill Hanass-Hancock of the Health Economics and HIV and AIDS Research Division (HEARD), University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, also highlights a growing concern about the sexual abuse and exploitation of People With Disabilities (PWDs) in Malawi.

“In Malawi, PWDs revealed that they are often forced into their first sexual encounter. Although sexual abuse is a reality for many people with disabilities in Africa, only a few cases are reported,” said Hancock.

She added: “The double stigma of disability plus HIV and AIDS might also make it difficult to disclose HIV status, particularly in the case of women who depend on their families, friends, boyfriends or husbands.”

Malawi's Minister responsible for People with Disabilities and the Elderly, Reen Kachere said Malawi Government is aware of the problems experienced by PWDs at all levels hence doing all it can to improve their welfare.

"We are even aware that rights of people with disabilities are violated hence it's our wish to make sure that they enjoy all the rights enshrined in Malawi's Constitution," she said.

This is why in Malawi, there is an urgent need to put in place measures to protect PWDs especially women from acts of discrimination and Gender Based Violence (GBV) that can lead to HIV and AIDS.

Yes! One never knows if measures were put in place by authorities in Malawi to protect women with disabilities including young girls like late Silvia against GBV as well as sexual violence such as defilement and rape, this ambitious girl from Phalombe would have accomplished her dream of becoming a nurse and save lives of patients in one of the country’s public hospitals currently experiencing staff shortages.

The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) has pledged ?15m for the training of Persons with Disability (PWD), through the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA).

The World Bank has also approved $65m to support the agency’s programmes for the next three years, due to its success story, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Clement Kofi Humado, has disclosed.

He was addressing the 55th speech and prize-giving day of the Peki Senior High School in the South-Dayi district of the Volta Region on the theme ‘Discipline, the bedrock of education’.

Mr Humado entreated the youth to take advantage of the various interventions and improve their lot.
He revealed that the GYEEDA had trained 800,000 youth for the various sectors of the economy, including the oil and gas industry.

The Volta Region Minister, Henry Ford Kamel, commended the staff and student of the school, for their dedication to work and studies, which had culminated in excellent academic performances.

He advised the students to be disciplined and responsible, and stay clear of such vices such as drug abuse, smoking and promiscuity.

Mr Kamel assured the school that work on the eight unit boy’s dormitory, the six-unit classroom block, and the dining hall and kitchen complex, would be completed on schedule for use.

The headmaster, John Agbai, said the infrastructural challenges of the school are enormous, which could be described a catalogue of problems, and appealed to stakeholders, old students, friends and will-wishers, to help the school to address its infrastructure deficit.

The Peki Senior High School began as a private institution in 1957 with 36 students, with Dr. Snyder, an American missionary, then the head of the Peki E.P Seminary. It was absorbed into public system by the Ministry of Education in 1960.

Presently, the school has no dining hall or assembly hall and the students are compelled to eat under a shed built from bamboo and palm fronds.

Luanda - People with disabilities who reside in housing complex in Kapalanga ward, in Viana municipality, Luanda, Tuesday were informed on the importance of election, during an action jointly sponsored by "Lwini" foundation and National Electoral Commission (CNE).

Among the issue, the participants learnt on how to cast ballot in general elections, that will also allow to elect the President of Republic, vice President and MPs to National Assembly, in the same ballot paper.

The former combatants were also urged to vote with civic attitude, respect and tranquility, avoiding trouble.

There are 18 families and more than 50 citizens residing in residential complex eligible to vote.

Started Monday in Ramiro neighborhood, Samba district, the action will also cover the localities of Funda, Panguila (Cacuaco) and Mabubas (Bengo).

As part of its outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, Tigo Ghana entertained students from the Takoradi school for the deaf to an overwhelming two-hour show at the first ever Circus in Takoradi.

On Sunday, 22nd July, 2012 Tigo put broad smiles on the faces of over 200 deaf and dumb students and 50 teaching and non-teaching staff when they gladly ended their term by witnessing a once in a life time Il Florilegio circus, which has been on a road trip in the country for the past 5 months, entertaining Ghanaians in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.

The children were seen jumping here and there signalling how much they were enjoying themselves. Continuous smiles and waves were evident from the beginning of the show till the very end.

Presenting souvenirs to the students, Leticia Adu-Ampoma, Integrity Manager, said, "Seeing smiles on the faces of these children is very humbling to us. We are very delighted to bring the Circus to Takoradi.
Supporting our communities and improving the lives of children in particular is at the forefront of Tigo's CSR projects. We promise to deliver many of such opportunities to those who otherwise would not have it.

Kwesi Nkansah, one of the deaf and dumb students, in the sign language and a wave thanked Tigo with a big smile on his face.

Mr. Francis Dzadze, the Assistant headmaster of Takoradi School for the deaf expressed his appreciation and profound gratitude to Tigo for granting the children an overwhelming treat since they seldom got such opportunities. He also said the circus was a practical education for both the students and teachers since they saw live tigers, jugglers, acrobats and more.

He furthermore, used this platform to request for more of such opportunities and also advised other corporate bodies to emulate the kind gesture from Tigo.

Posted Wednesday, August 15 2012 at 20:02 Attention has been drawn to remarks carried in the media attributed to retired president Daniel Toroitich arap Moi regarding the nomination of Dr Samuel Kipng’etich Tororei as a commissioner of the National Land Commission.

Mr Moi is quoted as having said that the Kalenjin were short-changed since Dr Tororei is blind.

While Mr Moi is entitled to his opinion, other Kenyans think differently, considering the provisions of the new Constitution.

To begin with, article 54(1) of the Bill of Rights guarantees equal treatment of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life.

Secondly, Article 54(2) states that five per cent of all public appointive and elective bodies be progressively constituted of persons with disabilities.

When the positions of commissioners of the National Land Commission were advertised in May this year, the selection panel encouraged women and persons with disabilities to apply.

Many persons with disabilities applied for the positions and Dr Tororei was nominated by both the selection panel and the two principals, not only in consideration of regional balance but also to represent persons with disabilities as a key constituency of the Kenyan populace.

While conservative estimates of the 2009 census put the group at a modest population of 1.3 million, the 2011 WHO World Disability Report puts the figure at about 5.5 million Kenyans (15 per cent of the population).

Dr Tororei is a qualified individual, having attained a Masters degree from the London School of Economics and a PhD from Moi University, where he has served for many years as a senior lecturer.

He has also successfully served as an executive director of both the Kenya Society for the Blind and the United Disabled Persons of Kenya, a board member of both the National NGO Coordination Board and the National Council for Persons With Disabilities, and as a commissioner, vice-chair, and currently acting chairman of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, among other distinguished public roles and positions.

The appointment or nomination of deserving individuals with disabilities to public and elective bodies has in the past been sacrificed at the altar of regional balance and political expediency.

This should not be encouraged as it belongs to the old constitutional order. It is also interesting to note that few, if any, persons with disabilities were appointed to senior public offices during Mr Moi’s 24 -year rule.

In the new second republic, persons with disabilities constitute a key constituency and have a right to own land and property, just like any other Kenyan.

They also have legitimate concerns that need to be represented in the National Land Commission.

As the august House goes through the report of its land committee, members of Parliament should look at the competence of individual nominees presented to them and not political intrigues that border on hate speech against the constituency of persons with disabilities.

This way, they will play their rightful historical role of mid-wifing a fair, just, and equitable second republic for all Kenyans, regardless of their stations in life or disability status.

The writer is the national coordinator of the Albinism Society of Kenya and a special adviser on disability affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister.

Tagged: East Africa, Governance, Human Rights, Kenya, Legal Affairs BY MOSOKU GEOFFREY, 15 AUGUST 2012

Former President Moi has been asked to apologise over his remarks opposing a nominee to the National Land Commission because he was blind.

Chairman of the Parliamentary departmental committee on equal opportunities Mohamed Affey said it is unfortunate that Moi could oppose the appointment of Samuel Torrorey on disability grounds and therefore could not represent the interests of the Kalenjin community. "This is a most regrettable remark coming from a former head of state. Moi should not only apologise to the disabled community, but also Kenyans for his unacceptable statement," Affey said.

The nominated MP said the remark on Torerey was demeaning to the disabled saying the retired president should know that "disability is not inability." He said that the new constitution grants the rights to all Kenyans including the disabled and thus no one should be discriminated on the basis of his/her disability. Affey said that Torerey had been nominated following a competitive and open exercise including vetting by MPs who found him competent. "In spite of his disability Tororey is a PhD holder and has also served this country as a commissioner in the Kenyan Human Rights Commission. This is a highly qualified person," the Wiper MP added.

He cautioned Moi against insinuating that the nominee can not be qualified to represent the interest of the Kalenjin saying those nominated are not to tribal lobbyist but public officers who will serve Kenyans. Over the weekend, Moi was quoted in Bureti criticising the nomination of Dr. Torery on grounds that he was disabled and should have been nominated to other commissions on disability. "Moi opposed the new constitution and we can understand his frustration but he must recognise that law prohibits any form of discrimination including on the basis of disability, he should withdraw the remarks." Affey added.

Luanda - Academic, technical and professional training of persons with disability as relevant for their social integration was highlighted Thursday in Luanda by the secretary for coopertion, information and advocay of the Angolan Association of Disabled Persons (ANDA), Enoque Bernardo.

The official was speaking to Angop saying the association has accords with the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, Science and Technology and with the Public Administration School to train ANDA members.

He said the institution has been sending members to employment centres of the Ministry of Public Administration, Employment and Social Security (Mapess).

He added that once trained, the beneficiaries become in a better position to choose a profession for their sustainance.

Enoque Bernardo recalled that ANDA and Mapess have created a project called “Vem Comigo”, with actions directed to the reintegration of physically disabled persons.

The official said as well that the attitude of the society toward persons with disability has improved significantly.

According to the source, the number of people with disability obtaining a university degree is on the rise.

Luanda - The Angolan National Association of Disabled People (ANDA) will hold from 20 August an electoral civic education activity for disabled people.

According to a press release sent to Angop Thursday, the activity aims at contributing so that that every people with disability participates at the polls with civism and patriotism.

The meeting will count with participation of residents from Luanda, among them blind, paraplegic, war disabled and their families.

After this act in the capital ANDA plans to extend its operations to other provinces with the aim of raising awareness among people with disabilities on election campaign taking place on August 31.

Tamale, Aug 17, GNA - Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWD) in Tamale have appealed to the government to honour its promise by making funds available to complete a Resource Center Project for them (PLWD).

At a press briefing in Tamale on Thursday, Mr Mohammed Seidu Chantimah, Chairman of the Northern Region Chapter of PLWD, said failure to complete the project on schedule had brought hardship to the disabled community in the Tamale Metropolis.

In November 2010 the government, through the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TAMA), awarded the project, which is situated opposite the new Tamale Sports Stadium, on contract to be completed in September 2011.

The project formed part of the Northern Region Poverty Reduction Programme (NORPREP) and comprises show rooms for displaying of income generating activities of the disabled, two conference halls, one to be used for commercial purposes, an office complex and four bedrooms to serve as accommodation for visiting members.

However, the project, which is about 85% complete, has been abandoned leaving the disabled community no facility for capacity building and development.

Mr Chantimah said the PLWD had in the interim been operating from a rented facility where it was paying huge sums of money as rent.

He argued that if it (PLWD) were operating from its own offices, the funds being used to pay the rent could be used to better the lot of its members.

Asked why the project had stalled, Mr Chantimah said the contractor complained of non-payment for work done and would only resume work when paid.

Checks by the Ghana News Agency revealed that when funds were not forthcoming, the government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development wrote a letter in March this year signed by its Chief Director, Nana Oduro Kwarteng, directing TAMA to use part of its District Development Facility to settle the outstanding commitment.

TAMA, however, disregarded the directive saying obeying it would amount to breaching the country's procurement laws.

Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWD) in Tamale have appealed to the government to honour its promise by making funds available to complete a Resource Center Project for them (PLWD).

However, the project, which is about 85% complete, has been abandoned leaving the disabled community no facility for capacity building and development.

Mr Chantimah said the PLWD had in the interim been operating from a rented facility where it was paying huge sums of money as rent.

He argued that if it (PLWD) were operating from its own offices, the funds being used to pay the rent could be used to better the lot of its members.

Asked why the project had stalled, Mr Chantimah said the contractor complained of non-payment for work done and would only resume work when paid.

TAMA, however, disregarded the directive saying obeying it would amount to breaching the country's procurement laws.

The wheels on Windhoek's primary school buses went round and round as pupils from all over the city travelled to the National Theatre of Namibia(NTN) to attend a show by the M？reson School for pupils with intellectual and other development disabilities last week.

Aimed at highlighting the similarities between the intellectually impaired and the average child in their shared ability to experience and inspire joy, 'Come to our Village - Same but Different' directed by Sandy Rudd, featured all 112 M？reson learners as well as students of the College of the Arts (Cota) and was a singing, dancing lesson in equality.

Though intellectually impaired pupils are often more likely to encounter ridicule rather than respect, their energetic and educational offering of nursery rhymes and village scenarios was met with thunderous laughter and applause from the crowd of children who all but stood on top of their seats to get in on the action.

Featuring fan favourites such as 'The Wheels on The Bus', and 'If You're Happy And You Know It', led by Boetietjie Kavandje, 'Come to My Village' offered an opportunity for local pupils to sing along to classic ditties while enthusing the M？reson students, whose confidence climbed with every number.

However, as much as it was a morning for fun and games, the gravity of the M？reson pupils' extraordinary experience was not to be entirely ignored.

Chanting lyrics that included the words "we have a right to education" and "we have a right to be loved", the M？reson learners touched briefly on their challenges of securing instruction and acceptance.

Ever engaged with promoting theatre to children, it seems Rudd's latest play for kids was as well received as always and succeeded in imparting the crucial message that intellectually impaired or otherwise, we are all same.

Houses and drainage channels in Bwaise slum newvision Until October 31, New Vision will devote space to highlight the plight of slum dwellers as well as profiling those offering selfless service to improve conditions in these areas. Today, Andrew Masinde brings you the story of Proscovia Namugwanga, who has given hope to the disabled persons in Bwaise

It was like any other ordinary day. Two women were involved in a bitter exchange of words. This was normal in Bwaise 1 Zone, a sprawling slum in Kawempe Division.

Other women had gathered around and were cheering the warring parties.
This was also not strange. But then one of the women who were quarrelling said something that pierced Proscovia Namugwanga’s heart like a sword.

“You were cursed and that is why you are lame,” came the venomous words. The other party in the quarrel was physically handicapped.

Namugwanga, also physically handicapped, was one of the spectators and was left in bewilderment on hearing the words. A number of questions raced through her mind. Was it really true that those who are physically handicapped were cursed?

Clutching her crutch, she walked away confused. That was in the year 2009. Then the answer came to her late at night.

The community was insensitive to the plight of people with disabilities.
That was why they cheered when the other woman was insulted over her physical disability.

“I knew one day they will say the same words to me so I looked for ways I could prove to people that physically handicapped people are also important in society,” Namugwanga recalls.

Bwaise 1, like other slums in Uganda, is characterised by filth, crowded and unplanned shanty structures, poor sanitation and lack of basic health and education facilities.

According to the 2002 Uganda Population and Housing Census, between 49- 64% of Uganda’s estimated 3.2% urban dwellers live in slums. Of the slum dwellers in Uganda, only 13.9% have access to piped water.

Bwaise slum, six kilometres north of Kampala, is known for flooding, prostitution and high rates of HIV/AIDs. The majority of the youth are illiterate and unemployed. As a result of they engage in unproductive activities like drug abuse, alcoholism, gambling, illicit trade and petty crimes.

They spend most evenings watching movies in shacks or wander around in gangs smoking marijuana or sniffing fuel. The population is a true personification of poverty in slums. The situation is worse for persons with disabilities especially women. Skipping through heaps of garbage, flooded alleys and open sewers is particularly challenging.

But in this sea of poverty, Namugwanga is offering hope, especially for women with disabilities.

After the 2009 encounter where a physically handicapped woman was abused, Namugwanga started mobilising all the women with disabilities in the area.

She knew there was strength in unity. They then formed the Bwaise 1 Disabled and Brain Injuries Association. Its objective was not only to empower its members economically, but also agitate to have issues of disability addressed in all the planning processes and programmes in Kawempe Division.

“We wanted to see that disabled people were also put into consideration in terms of having a good life,” Namugwanga observes.

With an initial capital of sh60,000 from members, Namugwanga procured palm fronds and other accessories for making mats and baskets.

“I contacted someone who knew how to make mats and baskets and was willing to train us for free. That is how we started and the women are now experts, something that no one ever believed,” Namugwanga says with satisfaction.

Through the local council board, Namugwanga’s association is now fully registered with the division. She has since received support from a number of organisations including the Uganda National Action on Physical Disability as well as the community division development office.

“When Namugwanga came to us, we did not know what exactly she was doing, but we gave her a go ahead. However, within a short time her efforts have borne fruits and now she has given her handicapped people a new life that they are proud of,” says the area councillor, Aliat Sembuya.

Juliet Namukasa, a beneficiary and now secretary of the group, had this to say: “When I was approached by Namugwanga , I thought it was a joke.
I thought there was nothing I could do because I had a problem with my eyes. One of them is blind, but she encouraged me and I joined her group.
Today I can make mats, baskets and table cloths. I can now support my family and also pass on the same skills to others.”

Aliat says there is a lot of potential in persons with disabilities because they are intelligent. As a council, she says, they have provided some funds to support the project.

“Residents now respect us because we have shown them that we can do better than them despite our handicaps,” Namugwanga says.

Ghana: Disability Rights Convention Ratified People With Mental Disabilities Need Protection, Community-based Programs

This is an important first step to ensuring that the 5 million Ghanaians with disabilities will be treated as equal citizens, with equal rights.
Ghana now needs to adapt its laws and practices to allow the promises of the convention to become reality for people with disabilities.

(Nairobi) - The announcement by the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs on August 21, 2012, of Ghana’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities affirmed Ghana’s commitment to respect the human rights of all its citizens, including those with disabilities, Human Rights Watch said today.

Ghana became the 119th country in the world to ratify the Disability Rights Convention, a landmark international treaty that mandates the protection and promotion of human rights for the more than 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide. More than 5 million people with disabilities live in Ghana, one-fifth of the total population, including 2.8 million people with mental disabilities.

“This is an important first step to ensuring that the 5 million Ghanaians with disabilities will be treated as equal citizens, with equal rights,” said Medi Ssengooba, Finberg Fellow at Human Rights Watch. “Ghana now needs to adapt its laws and practices to allow the promises of the convention to become reality for people with disabilities.”

While Ghana was one of the first countries to sign the Disability Rights Convention, in March 2007, it took the government more than five years to complete the ratification process. During this delay, people with disabilities, and especially people with mental disabilities, have continued to experience severe violations of their human rights, including the rights to liberty, access to healthcare, and freedom from discrimination, Human Rights Watch said.

Under the Disability Rights Convention, people with mental disabilities have the right to make decisions about their own lives, including where and how they live. They also have the right to be free from torture and other abuses, such as forced medication or deprivation of food.

In 2011 and 2012, Human Rights Watch documented abuses against people with mental disabilities living in psychiatric hospitals and prayer camps in the southern part of Ghana. Human Rights Watch found that hundreds of people with disabilities were forced into these institutions without their consent and subject to severe abuse. Details of these findings will be released in an upcoming Human Rights Watch report.

“People with mental disabilities living in prayer camps and psychiatric hospitals in Ghana face abuses ranging from neglect to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment,” Ssengooba said. “Now that Ghana has ratified the Disability Rights Convention, it should work to end these abuses and ensure access to medical treatment and other services for all people with mental disabilities.”

Funding for mental healthcare in Ghana is a major challenge. Despite the large number of people with disabilities in Ghana, less than 1 percent of the national health budget is spent on mental health services. People with mental disabilities living in the community also reported that there are few support services, including medical care, aimed at helping them integrate into community life. As a result, they lack medication and other basic necessities such as food and shelter.

Ghana has already taken steps to reform some of its laws including the recent Mental Health Act of 2012, which aims to protect, promote, and improve the lives and well-being of people with mental disabilities.

This act falls short of the provisions of the Disability Rights Convention, however, because it allows for arbitrary detention of people with disabilities as well as removal of legal capacity rather than supported decision-making, Human Rights Watch said.

In addition to becoming the 119th country in the world to ratify the Disability Rights Convention, Ghana also became the 32nd country in Africa to do so.

“Ratification is an important first step,” Ssengooba said. “However, to realize its obligations under the convention Ghana needs to improve its regulation of institutions that house people with mental disabilities and increase its investment and commitment to community- based services.”

Cape Town ― When 28 year old Ndimphiwe Masiba saw how hard it was for deaf children to make friends and interact with people, he decided to start a soccer team for deaf people in 2008 and unite them through the beautiful game of soccer.

Masiba, who is deaf himself, went to school in the Eastern Cape, along with some of the parents of the deaf children that make up his soccer team known as the Phillipi Deaf Stars. When Masiba moved down to the Western Cape after matriculating, he noticed how many deaf children did not have anything to do and were at a risk of ending up resorting to crime. "It was not easy starting the soccer team because there were not a lot of deaf people in my community and so I had to travel to different areas to find deaf children for the soccer squad. I went to deaf schools in Khayelitsha and Observatory to make up a full soccer team," Masiba explained.

What was initially intended to be an adult soccer team for the deaf quickly did not work out as many of the adult players had job commitments and could not commit to practices and tournaments. So Masiba turned to creating a team that consisted of young deaf people. The under-15 and under-17 teams were formed in 2011.

Masiba explains that due to the lack of sporting facilities in Phillipi the team has to practice on an empty field alongside the railway station, where it is not very safe, before their weekend games.

The Phillipi Deaf Stars play against other soccer teams with children that can hear. Masiba explained how they previously encountered problems playing under the local Phillipi Football Association and how the other children would ridicule and undermine their players, which made them angry and frustrated. The team then decided to search for a football association that would be more accepting of their disability and were welcomed by the Manenberg Football Association. "They made us feel welcome and accepted our disability. They were happy to play with the deaf and they could get a chance to learn from interacting with the deaf," explained Masiba.

The Phillipi Deaf Stars currently stay afloat through donations from family members and community raffles. This support is much needed as it goes towards supporting the team to buy soccer kits and attend events such as training camps.

While the team has approached some big companies for sponsorship as well as the Department of Sport and Recreation, nothing has materialised.

Despite the challenges faced by the Phillipi Deaf Stars, they came first at the Mandela Day tournament held in Milnerton, where teams from all over the Western Cape participated for a chance to win the trophy. "I was overwhelmed with joy when we won because this is something we've always wanted! It shows that the Phillipi Deaf Stars will go far and one of our players can even play for the national team one day," exclaimed Loyiso Mdokwe, who is one of the interpreters to coach Masiba.

Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere yesterday appointed a special youth advisory board on disability mainstreaming. The board is expected to provide independent, external and commercially oriented youth friendly advice to the Minister.

Other members of the board are Fidelis Fengu (vice), Simbarashe Mumbengegwi Jr, Yeukai Mazhawidza, Clever Muzaki and Benhilda Marume.

Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, Minister Kasukuwere said Government had committed to double efforts in taking into consideration views of young people living with disability.

"As we marked the Day of the African Child we made a commitment that we will double our efforts as a ministry in listening to the views and aspirations of young people living with disability hence the formation of this advisory board.

"As a Ministry we have re-affirmed and we will not renege on our promise to empower the black majority and in particular the youth.

"This Board comes at a critical juncture where as a Ministry we are accelerating youth development through the indigenisation and empowerment policy.

"We are therefore inviting the youths across the country to fully embrace and participate in this programme to enhance and correct economic imbalances we inherited from the colonial era as we move into the future."

He said Government had reserved a five percent quota to youths with disability for indigenisation activities.

According to their term of reference, the board will link indigenisation and empowerment programmes with young men and women marginalised by virtue of being disabled.

Mr Rowdy Mabhaudhi said: "We are ready to work for everyone despite the issue of disability among youths ion Zimbabwe. Anyone who has been feeling marginalised must feel free to get in touch with us and we get their pleas direct to the Minister."

A new organisation that advocates for the needs of visually impaired members of society to realise their capabilities has been formed. In an interview recently, Shine On International Trust Founder and board member, Mr Tafadzwa Nyamuziwa, said the organisation was aimed at educating and empowering the visually impaired.

"We are now living in a technological world where people can now conduct their businesses using a cellphone yet the blind still face difficulties to do so.

"Technology is bridging the gap between the blind and sighted and we hope to mobilise resources and educate the blind so that they can easily fit into the society," he said.

Another board member, Ms Chipo Chikomo, expressed concern over lack of employment for such people.

She said their organisation would help visually impaired people to secure jobs easily.

"Society is not giving blind people jobs and our organisation will partner with other organisations and stakeholders to help them," she said.

Ms Chikomo said the organisation would also provide HIV and Aids awareness and would be running a three-month training programme to the partially blind.

"The partially blind would be able to come for training at the resource centre and information on issues of HIV and Aids," she said.

Windhoek ― The National Disability Council of Namibia, which is mandated to run the affairs of over 85 000 people living with disabilities,is still in limbo not knowing when government will release the N$5 million appropriated to it in the current financial year.

In accordance with section 18 of the National Disability Council Act, No 26 of 2004, the Ministry of Health and Social Services will appropriate N$5 million to the council during the 2012/13 financial year.

The funds are part of the ministry's obligations to the council, and the funds were to be utilised for administrative functions by the council.

The ministry was supposed to have released N$2.5 million in the first quarter between May and June 2012 already, and the remaining N$2.5 million was to be released in the second quarter of August or September this year.

A well-placed source in the council, said, "We are fed up. The ministry has not appropriated the N$5 million yet for administrative activities. It is a national obligation to appropriate funds every year."

The council allegedly also submitted its financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2012 to the ministry a month ago but they did not receive any official response as to why the funds have not been disbursed.

"The ministry has not said anything to date. Our financial statements are very clear. We are the only institution funded by the ministry of health but have not received any funding yet. Is it because we are dealing with disabilities? Even messed up companies like the Namibia Airports Company got theirs. We have been operating without funds since April. The ministry only paid salaries," the source said.

The Director of the National Disability Council, Martin Limbo, confirmed that no money has been released to date. He also said the council submitted its financial reports to the ministry on July 26, but have not been briefed officially as to why the funds have not been paid.

'We have given them everything they needed. I have not been informed by the office of the permanent secretary whether the financial statements are sound or not," Limbo maintained. The council wrote a letter to the ministry on March 12 this year explaining its financial position. The council requested the ministry to approve an overdraft of N$2.5 million from First National Bank. The request was granted and a letter was signed by the former permanent secretary, Kahijoro Kahuure, to allow for the overdraft.

The letter Kahuure wrote reads in part: "The council might run out of funds before the stated funds (N$5 million) are disbursed to their operational account, and thus we request that your bank consider granting an overdraft facility of a reasonable amount that will assist the council to reach the funds' disbursement stages should the account run out of funds before the ministry transfers the funds."

The way Persons with Disability (PWDs) are projected and the frequency with which they appear in the Ghanaian media has an enormous impact on how they are perceived and treated in our society. It is rare to find PWDs as part of mainstream media programmes in Ghana.

The World health Organisation (WHO) has indicated that there are more than 600 million PWDs in the world, of which about 80 % live in low- income countries. Ghana, like most developing countries in the world have PWDs who constitute a serious marginalised group, facing problems in the area of access to health, education, and other interventions that would ideally support and protect them. The general perception in Ghana is that PWDs are incapable of contributing in a positive way to society.
Most Ghanaians consider such people as constituting an economic and financial burden on the family and the society, thus rejected and left to fend for themselves leaving them in abject poverty. Even though I have always been supportive to the promotion of disability issues in our media, watching “The Helping Hand” by H4P Crew, a television programme which airs on Metro TV every Sunday at 5.00pm and an article I read on the 5th of June 2012 in the Daily Graphic, gave me a positive urge to do more so as to encourage other PWDs and able bodied people not to see disability as inability. Recently the Daily Graphic reported on the launch of a campaign to mobilise support from the media, to promote the well-being of PWDs in the society. This was under the patronage of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled, (GFD) an umbrella body for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Ghana.

The campaign according to the GFD forms part of efforts to promote the political and electoral rights of Persons with Disability (PWDs) as enshrined in Article 29 of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of PWDs and all other related laws governing the country.

They further appealed to the Electoral Commission to appreciate the concerns of the PWDs, while urging the media and the general public to portray PWDs in the society positively.

On the television programme, so far I have been impressed with the PWDs interviewed on Metro TV, and this clearly underlines the fact that disability must not be viewed as a disadvantage. We must not forget that, just like able bodied people, there are disabled people who are successful and are contributing immensely to national growth and development.

One of such impressive interviews between Apostle Charles Hackman, the moderator and Ms. Emma Lillian Bruce-Lyle, who is a retired Civil Servant (Chief Director) having rendered 41 years of dedicated Service to the Nation. The interview sought to bring to the fore the achievement of a determined and astute woman in the Civil Service, despite the numerous challenges she faced.

Ms. Emma Lillian Bruce-Lyle had her secondary education at St. Louis Senior High School, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region. She holds an Executive Masters in Governance and Leadership from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

Whilst in the Civil Service, she served in various capacities in the Ministries of Health, Education, Local Government and Rural Development, Private Sector Development, Chieftaincy and Culture, The Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council and The Parliamentary Service.

She spoke about challenges as a person with disability and how she was able to surmount it throughout her work as a top civil servant and highlighted the need for public buildings to adhere to the ten-year moratorium, (a provision in the disability Act 715, which stipulates that all public buildings should have to be made disability friendly). I was indeed impressed and as beautiful as she is at her age, I was more than encouraged with her confidence and achievements.

With her office at the top floor and without elevators in the building, she had challenges going up to her office daily. At times she had to attend meetings at places where access to those places were not user friendly to her.

In some instances, she was discriminated against because she was feminine and probably disabled. However, she managed her way through to success.

One key point that ran through her presentation was the support and love from her family. According to her, her family provided her with the support she needed and took the opportunity to encourage parents and families to show a lot of love to their disabled relatives.

I then said to myself, Ghana could experience total development only if the media continue in a more proactive approach, acknowledging, utilizing and giving visibility to the abilities of persons with disabilities.

I wish these interviews could be given prime time space and published on all media platforms available; that is radio, television, internet and other mediums.

It is true that governments over the years have made efforts to promote the rights of PWDs in Ghana. The passage and ratification of the Disability Act, (Act 715) in June 2006 and the inauguration of the National Disability Council are some of these efforts to help alleviate the challenges faced by PWDs.

But to what extent has the media been proactive in bringing to the fore to overcome the challenges, stigmatisation and challenges that face PWDs.
I believe the media should work at eliminating the exclusion of PWDs from all activities as well as representation on matters that are largely related to their enhancement and well-being of their socio- economic development.

Giving visibility to issues of PWDs for me means creating a platform by media institutions and individuals that would promote equality of opportunities and access to services and information for PWDs and help disabled persons integrate into mainstream activities.

When this is properly done, PWDs would be given the needed attention in the media alleviating the issues of stigmatization or stereotypes which makes way for PWDs to appear as either objects of pity or super heroic figures.

The media can also influence the perception of the public and promote positive images of people with disability and help stimulate a sense of non-discrimination and equal opportunity for disabled persons at all levels of the economy and society and further influence the development of a policy on disability.

When these concerns are tackled it would help provide a fair and balanced representation in the media and help to counter stigmatisation and stereotypes that perpetuate negative perceptions of disabled persons and help promote more inclusive and tolerant societies thereby allowing the PWDs to be empowered to take charge of their destiny.

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage media outfits to come up with innovative programmes that will seek to end the long standing negative perception of the physically challenged and eventually empower them to engage in mainstream economic activities.

THE Special Needs Empowerment Programme yesterday lashed out at retired President Daniel Moi for criticising the appointment of Samuel Tororei as a member of the land commission.

Moi had expressed doubts that Tororei's inability to see "will not effectively represent the Kalenjin community's land interests".

Snep coordinator Juliet Mwaniki said the old constitution did not give a leeway for persons with disabilities to utilise their capabilities.

"It is important to note that Prof Tororei is not blind but visually impaired, hence his senses are intact and capable of carrying out his role in the National Land Commission just as he has done in other commissions, she said.

"Today's work is enhanced by technology and viewing is not by sight alone. I wish to point out that all persons, including disabled persons, have a dream, which is to serve their country."

She added: "Currently, in every primary school, there is a Special Unit and high schools for disabled persons who take care of Children with disabilities.

These children are supposed to grow looking at role models to help them try to achieve their dreams. It is out of order for Moi to dismiss the choice of Tororei."

Mwaniki said she respects the former President and wonder whether he was informed accordingly on the availability technology to enhance PWDs to satisfaction without depending on other people's opinions.

She commended all persons who have come out to appreciate the appointment of Prof Tororei to the position of a Commissioner in the Land Commission.

Mwaniki said that was an indication of the Government's commitment in the implementation of the Constitution of Kenya Article 54(1) of the Bill of Rights which guarantees equal treatment of PWDs.

Mwaniki said Tororei is one among the persons with disabilities holding various positions in different sectors.

His appointment was justified because he meets all requirements including meritocracy, adding that this is going to stand out to tell other Kenyans with disabilities that they should be ready to serve their country.

AllAfrica.com Tagged: Aid and Assistance, Asia, Australia, and Africa, Business, Company, External Relations, Human Rights, Sierra Leone, West Africa
BY IBRAHIM TARAWALLIE, 23 AUGUST 2012

The China Railway Seventh Group (CRSG) - the company responsible for the construction of the Wilkinson and Spur Roads - has donated 100 bags of rice and 10 bags of onions to the Milton Margai School for the Blind, National School for the Deaf and seven mosques in the Western Area.

The donations, which were made during the holy month of Ramadan, were part of the company's strong corporate social responsibility.
Worshippers in the different mosques including the RSLAF Central Mosque, Hamilton Village Mosque, White Pole Mosque, Jamil Hamid, Masjid Asalam, Itehad Mosque and JCU Mosque - who benefited from the gesture - heaped praises on the company and prayed that they continue to excel in their construction work in and out of the country.

The company's Project Manager, Li-Wanhong who did the distribution, stated that the essence of the gesture was to provide for those who find it hard to eke out a living in society, adding, "Our main targets are the aged, disabled, orphans and those who can't fend for themselves."

Even though it is the first time they are extending their goodwill gesture to Muslims during the month of Ramadan, the Project Manager assured that the assistance will continue on an annual basis, and that they want people to feel happy where they are operating.

"We don't only concentrate on constructing roads across the country but also care for those people who are in need where we operate. Our goodwill is meant purposely for those who cannot afford anything for themselves," he said.

Receiving the gesture on behalf of the Chief Imam of the RSLAF Central Mosque, Sheik Mohamed Samura thanked the company for their kindness and prayed that the blessings of the month of Ramadan will continue to pour on them.

"We are really thrilled by the donation from CRSG because it is something we were not expecting from them," noted Sheik Samura. "We pray that the blessings of the Ramadan will remain with them and for them to prosper in all their future projects. They are the first Chinese company to donate to us and we are proud of them."

CRSG said it is not only concern with the construction of roads in Sierra Leone but also giving back to the communities where they operate.
Since they started their operations in the country, they have been performing their corporate social responsibility with distinction. The company recently donated 22 bags of cement and a truck of granite to the military primary school at Wilberforce, and discussions are at an advanced stage to provide assistance for the extension of the Lumley police station.

Luanda - The chairperson of the National Association of Disabled People of Angola (ANDA), Silva Lopes Etiambulo, Thursday praised the engagement of president Jose Eduardo dos Santos, for the well-being of disabled people in the country.

Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the 4th congress of his institution, Silva Lopes Etiambulo said that Jos？ Eduardo dos Santos has provided moral and material support and is committed to improving the social conditions of disabled people, and having issued in 2011, two presidential decrees that guide the government to draw up policies and the creation of the secretariat of people with disabilities.

He added that the Ministries of Former Combatants and Homeland Veterans, Social Welfare, among others, are public institutions that have provided unconditional support for the disabled.

According to him, socio-professional insertion of disabled people is increasing, because there have been trained disabled people every month.

Hr added that entire national territory there are professional centres s of the Ministry of Public Administration, Employment and Social Security, which have provided training to the disabled.

ASYARF staff, Adeleke John, in the midst of physically challenged children of the Family Vocational Home during the International Youth Day celebration in Ogun State.

As part of activities marking the 2012 International Youth Day of Disabilities, the Asabe Shehu Yar'Adua Foundation [ASYARF] was at the Family Vocational Institute for the underprivileged at Arepo, Ijoko in Ogun State recently. Kunle Oderemi reports.

AREPO, Ijoko is a typical Nigerian community. Located at Ijoko, an outskirts of the popular Sango Tollgate in Ogun State, the community lacks all the basic things of life, including roads. The only accessible tortuous bush path to the community is severely muddy at wet season and extremely dusty at dry season. But Arepo is home to more than 200 children with varying degrees of disabilities at the Family Vocational Institute for the Disable.

The inmates comprise the dumb and the deaf, as well as children with the Down Syndrome and less privileged members of the society. All of them have not only learnt to live with their physical disabilities, but also adapted to the grim reality of surviving with worrisome comfort.

Their predicament is no fault of those running the home or of the inmates. Rather, it is owing to the largely uncaring attitude of government, well-meaning individuals and other stakeholders in the country.

As the rest of the world commemorated the 2012 International Youth of Disabilities, these hapless youths, had no access to drinking water; reside in building located in a typical rain forest, just as there is neither power supply nor any passable road to the location. Nonetheless, the managers of the home are not despondent, as they have been making concerted efforts to put smile on the faces of the inmates.

Curiously, many parents whose children suffer from one form of disability or another still find their way to the home for succour. But Nigerian Tribune learnt that often, some parents and guardians find their way to the location and dump children with disabilities without bothering to visit the home again and ascertain how those children are surviving. Thus, the burden of providing shelter, feeding, clothing and general upbringing of the inmates rests squarely on the founder and president of the institute, Reverend Okon Usuyak and his indefatigable team of good spirited individuals.

Another source of inmates for the home is through the efforts of good Samaritans, who may have found abandoned babies. After necessary formalities, they take the children to the homes, who with their meagre resources try to impress it on the inmates that there is indeed ability in disability. To underscore this fact, members of the Asabe Shehu Yar'Adua Foundation led by its president and founder, Hajiya Asabe Yar'Adua, decided to celebrate the UN-proclaimed 2012 edition of the International Youth Day of Disabilities with the inmates. After about five hours journey, Asabe arrived the premises of the institute with members of her team expressing disbelief over the challenges the home was going through.

The journey had included more than 45 minutes walk through the bumpy muddy bush path that taped into the home. “It is very difficult to get here. We had to pack our cars several kilometers away and walk through the crooked muddy path for close to one hour,” the ASYARF founder stated.

ASYARF founder, Dr Asabe Sheu Yar'Adua with the founder of the Family Vocational Home, Rev. (Mrs) Okon and other members of ASYARF.

A member of the home, who craved anonymity, also highlighted the challenges facing the inmates, saying, “There is no water and electricity. We have consistently solicited and appealled for assistance from government, non-governmental organisations and well meaning individuals, but none has so far come to our aid. It is a difficult time here indeed.”

The visitors, who were visibly disturbed by the attitude of the privileged members of the society to persons with disabilities, toured the premises and betrayed emotions on the level of sacrifices and commitment of the administrators to guaranteeing relative comfort to the inmates.

Asabe, whose speech on the occasion also dripped with emotion, noted that it was sad that many Nigerian children still lived under nauseating condition in a country flowing with milk and honey. She stated, “ Moments like this give me joy. I always feel a sense of fulfillment and excitement.

My fulfillment derives from the fact that I am in the midst of my children, who believe that there is indeed hope at the end of the tunnel.
I am happy because I can share a moment like this day with them and reassure them that all that glitters is not gold.”

However, the ASYARF president said there was still hope because “the children can find in our society that many out there have not forgotten them,” adding that she was “excited because the children can still sing and dance because God does not abandon His people, either in the rain or under the sun.” According to her, it is gratifying that the children could find “considerate, kind-hearted, pious and committed citizens, who are too passionate about humanity' and commended the founder of the home for believing that what rules the world, are ideas and not affluence.

She regretted that individuals with genuine concern for the less privileged in the society were becoming short in supply. Her words, “ When I look around our society these days, I can only see a few that believe that the vulnerable persons in the country deserve to live and enjoy other privileges we all deserve as human beings. Many have lost their souls. They are pre-occupied with what they get from the system and not what they can do towards making Nigeria a better place for the weak and the strong; the young and the old or the poor and the comfortable. That is the pervasive sad story in our society today as people no longer think about serving humanity and appreciating their country for the good things it has allowed them to achieve and become.”

But, Asabe said the people should not relent in appealing to well- meaning citizens and corporate organisations as well as NGOs to assist the vulnerable members of the population. She emphasised, “They should see their positions as politicians, moguls, as veritable opportunities, which should be maximally used to help the needy, less privileged in the society.” She noted that it was a shame that many Nigerian leaders hardly express concern over the conditions of ubiquitous beggars and other less privileged on the streets in all our cities, towns and villages, claiming that “many of the leaders would zoom pass in their exotic cars without caring a whimper.”

In his remarks on the occasion, Reverend Usuyak said the home was born out of a special passion for under privileged citizens; the need to care, love and give meaning to the lives of children, especially the hearing- impaired and those with the Down Syndrome. “We are determined to give a meaning to them by providing a home and a school that will reform and reconstruct them,” Reverend Usuyak said.

AllAfrica.com
Tagged: East Africa, Governance, Human Rights, Kenya BY ELIAS YAA, 27 AUGUST 2012

The Tree Flag Association for the Disabled has called for the decentralisation of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities.

The association, which is an umbrella body for the disabled in the area, has demanded that the council opens offices in every district to ease delivery of services.

Speaking to the press after holding a procession in Kilifi town on Friday, the association said people with disability do not enjoy services of the council.

Chairman Omar Khamis said, "We have several special needs that we feel cannot be tackled from Nairobi. We need someone at the district level to forward our grievances."

"We hear that the NCPWD issues bursaries and grants for the disabled to start businesses but we do not know where to go for such services," he said.

The NCPWD director of public relations and advocacy Geoffrey Wathigo however defended the council saying it is still waiting for the government to give it the direction on the decentralization.

"The council is very young and solely depends on the government so once the county governments are fully effected I think we will have offices in every county but currently we have posted regional officers" said Wathigo.

The association's women representative Hilda Mzungu further called for the national fund for the disabled to make sure the entrepreneurship equipments they donate every year reach the targeted people.

She said the equipment have not benefited the disabled urging the government to follow up on the funds and equipment they disburse.

(Reuters) - The desire to make Kenya proud and the need for a pain-free orthopedic leg brace is driving Kenya's Paralympic team captain Mary Nakhumicha to target a gold medal at the London Games.

Nakhumicha won javelin silver at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and she will also throw discus and shot-put in the F57 category in London.

But she walks with a crude 2,500 shillings ($29.73) metal leg brace which is strapped around her knee with coarse leather.

"Sometimes I miss the wheelchair. This caliper is not good. When I walk, I feel it squeezing me," Nakhumicha told Reuters as she struggled to walk up the hill at the end of her training session.

"But a good model costs a lot of money. Almost 40-50,000 Kenyan shillings ($480-$590). I will try buy that one when God helps me get gold."

People with disability in Kenya often suffer prejudice and stigma, rendering many unemployable, while disabled-friendly access and services are almost non-existent.

Nakhumicha believes a key incentive for Kenyan Paralympians in London is the prize money on offer, with telephone operator Safaricom putting up a 1 million shillings ($11,900) reward for every gold won.

"At present if you get gold, they promise they have presents for you.
I'm trying to do best to get gold and I go to my president to give me my gift," Nakhumicha said, sitting on a grass field in Nairobi's Moi International Sport Centre after a heavy training session.

Kenyan paralympians also say there is a chronic shortage of funding for sports equipment and transport, which makes it impossible for many disabled athletes to train.

"Sometimes you want to go out to the field or the gym but you can't,"
Nakhumica said.

Nakhumicha, who became disabled after a bad malaria injection paralyzed her leg at five years old, won gold medals in javelin, shot-put and discus at the 2009 Africa Great Lakes Championships in Kenya.

"Many Kenyan people fear the disabled. They don't want to become friends,"
Nakhumicha said, while looking into the distance where eucalyptus and acacia trees surround the sports centre.

"Some make you sad. If somebody looks at you and start feeling fear in you, you think what's happening with me."

Away from professional competitions, Nakhumicha works as an assistant sports coach with ANDY, a Kenyan charity which uses sports to develop self-esteem, confidence and other skills that disabled individuals often lack in workplace.

"I train disabled people," she said. "When I train them, even I train.
Because I'm a champion I want my peers to be champions with me."

Much of ANDY's work is done in Nairobi's Kibera slum, one of Africa's largest, where narrow dirt roads littered with rubbish make movement difficult and life harsh for disabled people.

Nakhumicha, who also plays table tennis, wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball, said she wanted her success to change mindsets in Kenya.

"Many people in Kenya (don't) think that disabled people can participate and get gold," she said. "I love sports. In my life, I think that one is the power from God." ($1 = 84.1000 Kenyan shillings)

Sunyani, Aug. 30, GNA - Mr George Yaw Ankamah, acting Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Ministry of　Women and Children’s Affairs, has called on stakeholders to make efforts to bring out the potentials of People With Disabilities (PWDs).

This was contained in a statement issued in Sunyani on Thursday copied to the Ghana News Agency in　connection with the celebration of this year’s National Children’s Day on Friday, August 31.

It is on the theme "The Right of Children With Disabilities: The Role of the Community” to promote awareness on the statutes of Ghanaian children with disabilities.

Mr Ankamah said disability had remained a major challenge among children in Ghana and some of the causes such as preventable diseases, accidents, inadequate parental and neo-natal heath care services and harmful traditional practices could be avoided.

“Poverty has become a major contribution to disability since poor nutrition linked to Vitamin “A’deficiency in infants causes blindness and lead to children being born with disabilities," he said.

Mr Ankamah said disability could not be ignored by the society because about 10% of Ghanaians had some form of disabilities and faced total alienation.

He expressed concern about some public buildings not being disability friendly while some disabled children were denied access to education, abandoned and others confined to prevent them from participating in family and community deliberations.

Matatu tout Benard Kiogothi during work. Mr Kiogothi, despited being deaf, has been working as a tout for 11 years. Photo/STEPHEN MUKHONGI

By CARLOS MUREITHI carlosmureithi@ke.nationmedia.com Posted Friday, August 31 2012 at 23:30 In Summary

Kiogothi uses sign language to call out to passengers and his lip reading skills to tell their destination

>From the conductor’s seat, he leans out of the matatu’s window to beckon prospective passengers, indicating with a two- or three-finger sign the fare he is charging depending on the time of the day.

Between the fingers of Bernard Kiogothi’s right hand are currency notes while the coins are in his palm.

The Route 11 matatu makes a stop at the Ngara stage, just outside the Nairobi city centre.

Conductor Kiogothi, dressed in the official maroon uniform, simply gives the two-finger sign to indicate that the fare is Sh20. He calmly opens the door and the passenger steps in.

In an industry known for its noisy, rowdy and unruly touts, Mr Kiogothi stands out ? he works in silence.

The 36-year-old deaf and mute man has spent a good part of his life in the matatu industry in Nairobi.

“I have worked as a matatu conductor for 11 years,” he says using sign language. He adds that he worked along the Gachie route for six years before changing to the Highridge one.

At the bus stop another matatu conductor will call out for passengers on his behalf. For this, Kiogothi parts with a small fee, Sh20 at most.
When all 14 seats are occupied, however, Mr Kiogothi takes charge of the vehicle.

While collecting the bus fare, he uses his fingers to ask where each passenger intends to alight. He understands his passengers’ response by reading their lips, a skill that he is quite adept at. And in case of a misunderstanding with a commuter, he seeks the driver’s intervention.

On this particular day a passenger says he wants to alight at the Inoorero stage. Mr Kiogothi cannot understand him, so he seeks help from the driver, who listens and drops off the passenger at desired stop.

Mr Kiogothi works for 16 hours a day from Monday to Saturday. “I wake up at 4am, get to the car’s parking location at Ngara by the next hour and then we work from 5am to 9pm,” he says.

The six-day routine involves 13 trips daily between Highridge and the Central Business District. The matatu owner expects a certain amount of money each evening. The balance, Mr Kiogothi says, is sufficient to sustain a decent living for the driver and himself.

Commuters on the Highridge route have no problem boarding a matatu that has a hearing-impaired conductor. In fact, some marvel at how he conducts his business. One such passenger, Ms Mary Nduta, a fruit seller, is full of praise for Mr Kiogothi. She said: “He is gentle when asking people to board his matatu.”

The driver, Mr John Wainaina, has a lot of admiration for him too, saying: “I couldn’t have gotten a more effective person to work with.

“After observing Kiogothi’s work ethic and attitude at the Odeon stage, I introduced him to my employer. “We have been working together for the past year.”

Mr Kiogothi’s colleagues hold him in equally high regard. Mr Kagai Njoroge, a matatu driver on the Highridge route, says they do not discriminate against him.

Those wheelchair-bound are faced with the challenge of paying for the repairs because the department has not paid service providers contracted to do the work required. Two of these service providers said they were owed nearly R500000 in total.

Paralysed Mojalefa Motsepe, 38, is one of the destitute, disabled people who constantly keeps his eye on the battery power gauge of his wheelchair, dreading that the red light will start flashing.

"My wheelchair is my life," he said. "Without it I feel like I'm under house arrest because I can't go outside my room. I bash against the walls and struggle on inclines because I can only use one arm."

Motsepe is one of 50 wheelchair-bound residents at StGiles Home for the Physically Disabled in Kensington, Johannesburg.

About 14 StGiles residents urgently need repairs to their wheelchairs.
Their R1200 disability grant covers only their accommodation needs.

StGiles social support officer Di Hasapi said her office is piling up with quotes they can't afford. "To fit two new batteries costs R2000."

Nonpayment by the department has crippled companies such as Siyalinda Ngconjana's Wheel-chair Repair Company, which worked from the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital workshop.

Ngconjana claims he is owed R91000 for work done from July last year. He shut the workshop down in May after many battles with the department.

"I couldn't take it. There were lots of people coming to us wanting help but we did not have spares or money," he said. "I had kids to think about.
I ended up working as a taxi driver just to make ends meet."

Rodney Outram, whose company, CE Mobility is also contracted by the department to fix wheelchairs, was owed just over R1-million a few months ago. The department has paid off more than half and the company is now owed about R400000.

"I now only repair wheelchairs whose invoices have been approved by the government," Outram said.

Gauteng health spokesman Simon Zwane said: "The department has made progress in ensuring that all companies who rendered services are paid."

He said the contracts of 11 workshops that repair wheelchairs would be renewed "so they can resume rendering services soonest".

AllAfrica.com
Tagged: Europe and Africa, External Relations, Nigeria, Olympics, Sport, Sport, West Africa BY COSMAS OKOLI, 1 SEPTEMBER 2012

The London 2012 Paralympic Games have finally begun, and Nigerian athletes with disabilities are poised to thrill the world along with athletes with disabilities from other countries.

I cannot vouch for the preparation of the Nigerian Paralympics contingent, but I can assure you that, these Nigerian disabled will come home with medals; including gold medals.

I am pretty certain that about 4 billion global TV audience and millions of life audience will bear witness to the abundant athletic talent of Nigerians with disabilities. Imagine the mileage Nigeria will gain from this anticipated successful outing.

According to The Sun Newspaper report (not Nigerian Sun Newspaper); the Paralympics expects to get a total worldwide TV audience of four billion.
Broadcasters in more than 100 countries have snapped up deals with organizers after rave reviews from the London's Olympics.

International Paralympic Committee President, Sir Philip Craven, said that the huge number expected to tune in over ten days would smash the 3.
8billion viewing audience of Beijing 2008.

Ten new deals covering the US, Canada, South and Central America, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Ireland and Iran, have been added to 36 existing broadcast contracts. However, I do not know if any Nigerian broadcaster is among the broadcasters' from100 countries who have signed deals with the organizers to broadcast the Paralympics.

If not, then we are missing out because that will entail that only those of us with access to the cable networks that have the rights to transmit the London 2012 Paralympics will be able to witness the expected heartwarming, glorious outing of our indomitable athletes with disabilities.

During the Sydney 2000 Paralympic games where I lead the Nigerian contingent, I recall with nostalgia, that while Nigeria was sweeping the medals and Nigeria's National anthem was being played repeatedly, I was filled with an indescribable joy, pride and a sense of fulfillment.

Unfortunately, most Nigerians at home did not witness these unprecedented accomplishments; which would have lifted their spirits after the poor showing of our non disabled Olympians 2 weeks earlier.

At this juncture, I wish to call on all Nigerians to hook up to the London 2012 Paralympic Games as they are sure to be glad they did. For the members of the fourth estate of the realm, may I enjoin you to please give Nigerians a treat by ensuring good coverage of the Paralympic Games.

I know some of you who would like to attend the games and cover it live are probably unable to find sponsorship.

Whatever the case may be, in this information age, you will not lack materials to write about Nigerian athletes' performance at the games if you want to. Please, let us give these athletes the support they deserve as they fight for medals and honour.

President Goodluck Jonathan will be proud of these athletes who have consistently do this nation proud in all their international engagements.
Mr. President Sir, may I appeal to you to find time to welcome and honour these athletes when they return with medals.

You will do well to also use the opportunity to right the wrongs of the Obasanjo administration that failed to honour the Paralympians who represented Nigeria in Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games after winning a record 7 gold medals, 1 silver and 5 bronze medals.

A record that has not been broken nor equaled in the last 12 years and is not likely to be broken nor equaled at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. You are all in for a treat. Enjoy.

THE 2012 London Paralympic Games kicked off last week with Zimbabwe being represented by two athletes ― wheelchair tennis player, Nyasha Mharakurwa and two-time Paralympic gold medalist, Elliot Mujaji.

Twice, Mujaji defied poor preparations to win a gold medal in 2000 and 2004, but now at the age of 40, he might struggle to match the younger generation of athletes.

If the single hand amputee strikes gold, then that would be something of a miracle, for the athlete had hung up his spikes to take up coaching at Shabanie Athletics club. He only started preparing for the Games a few months ago after being awarded a wild card.

Mujaji is in London merely because of his historical achievements while the 88th ranked Marakurwa, who is only limited to tournaments in South Africa, qualified for the Games through the Bipartite Commission slot because of his high ranking.

It’s a pity that the country did not see value in him as he failed to find resources to take part in the qualifying tournaments.

While the government should be applauded for chipping in with US$70 000 for the athletes before they left for London, the money came way too late!

According to Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC), it takes four years to come up with a medal winner, but no such programmes are in place for disabled athletes in this country.

In our country, it is very unfortunate that the only time that the nation talks about disabled athletes, is towards the Paralympic Games.

Not many games are being organised for these athletes and they have to rely more on the poorly-funded National Paralympic Games and Danhiko Games.

Moreover, a disabled athlete who uses a wheelchair faces more difficulties in the country, owing to the high cost of acquiring and maintenaning the wheelchair.

Tyres for a wheelchair that is used in wheelchair tennis, basketball or athletics costs around US$150 compared to the ordinary wheelchair tyres which cost approximately US$20.

In an economy such as ours, where people are struggling to get three meals a day, potential disabled sport persons are being sidelined.

It is noble that the corporate world is chipping in to help these athletes like what Murowa Diamonds did with Mujaji, but often the help comes a little too late.

Since our economy is still struggling, maybe we should invest more in sprints which are not expensive.

This is a call to the corporate world to work closely with the Zimbabwe Paralympic Committee in resuscitating this sector that has fallen victim to a blind eye from the whole country.

There are also problems at our own National Paralympic Games where athletes compete in categories that do not suit their nature of disability due to lack of classification material.

The neglect of disabled sports is also manifested by the fact that no due attention is being given to increase the few qualified classifiers available in Zimbabwe.

However, while not ruling out Houdini acts, it will be folly for us to expect the beautiful Zimbabwean national anthem to be sung after a medal has been bagged.

AllAfrica.com
Tagged: East Africa, Governance, Human Rights, Kenya BY DAISY KOMEN AND HENRY KIBIRA, 3 SEPTEMBER 2012

PEOPLE with disabilities have condemned the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission's requirement that aspirants pay a nomination fee to be cleared to run for elective posts in next year's general election.
The group is now calling on IEBC to scrap the fee to enable its members participate in the elections both as candidates and voters.

The members say the fee is too high, discriminative, and will lock them out of the polls, as they cannot afford it. Speaking yesterday in Nairobi, the caucus, which is drawn from various political parties said it will petition Parliament tomorrow to amend the provision and give reprieve to its members.

While hailing the constitution, which has created special slots for them, the group said most of its members are faced with numerous challenges that have subjected them to poverty. It says the constitutional provisions had given its members the much needed opportunity to access employment and improve their livelihoods: "This was going to be an ideal chance for us to get empowered economically," Isaac Mwaura from the Albinism Society of Kenya said.

"There is a bi-directional correlation between poverty and disabilities, it will lock out good candidates who may shy away from contesting," he said. An estimated three million people with various forms of disabilities have reached the mandatory voting age, and will be expected to take part in next year's polls.

Mwaura wondered why IEBC was demanding for extra cash from candidates, yet the state had set aside sh17billion to facilitate the polls.
"Through the nomination fees, they will collect over sh5billion going by conservative estimates," he said and challenged IEBC to provide free services, especially to its members.

Mwaura said that people with disabilities are faced with myriad of challenges, which include wrong attitudes from leaders, and lack of level playing field with their opponents. "We are asking ourselves, for what purposes do they want to make money out of poor Kenyans, including persons with disabilities who have been marginalized for long?" wondered Mwaura.

He said the demand for money by political parties and IEBC will place a huge burden on persons with abilities and encourage corruption. There has been an uproar from various interest groups on IEBC requirement that candidates pay a nomination fee of up to sh500,000, with women aspirants saying the move will give their male opponents an upper hand in the process.

While appealing for peaceful campaigns, Mwaura said violence would negatively impact his members, and would infringe on their rights to participate in the electoral process. He was flanked by other members from Kenya National Association for the Deaf, UDPK, ODM, UDF and Albinism Empowerment Network. "Paying huge sums to IEBC is tantamount to paying for free services from a public funded office. This is inimical to some form of corruption of the electoral process," Mwaura said.

(A GNA commentary by William D. Ezah, London Paralympic Games) The old adage “travel and see” can easily be brushed aside on any day until the recent Paralynpic Games in London, which has attracted over 2.5 million fans each day to watch the events at the Olympic Stadium in London.

Indeed until one participates in the Paralympic Games, even as a sports journalist it will be highly impossible to develop any level of appreciation for Para-Sports.

Para-sports is indeed a serious business in developed countries, possibly due to well developed policies on disability, which grants disability persons equal rights in every field, with clearly defined legislative and protective measures.

Unfortunately, social and cultural beliefs in mostly Africa and other third world countries, most times give the impression that disabilities are as a result of curses or sins committed by persons with disability or their parents and this coupled with economic difficulties in the developing world, have denied especially Ghana the opportunity of exploring opportunities in disabled sports without effective policies on disability.

Disabled sports in the developed world, from the little observation made so far at the Paralympic Games is indeed a major tool for social integration, as people with disability engage in almost all the Olympic sporting disciplines.

One may indeed be tempted to say disable sports is more challenging due to the nature of disability of the persons even though they seem to excite sports fans even more than the main Olympics, hence the reason; millions of people throng the Olympic Stadium each day. .

Through the disabled sports, the advanced countries have been able to make international heroes and heroines out of their citizens with Elleanor Simmons of Great Britian, as one of the world's best swimmers catching the headlines of major newspapers in London, South Africa’s Oscar Pistorious, as a famous athlete, China’s Powerlifter Liu Lei and many more have become hot cakes for international advertising agencies, hence one can imagine the economic benefits and the social impact on their respective countries.

One will have no option than to admire the care and attention provided disabled persons in the advanced countries as they are not considered as outcast or a nuisance to society as is done in Ghana and some parts of Africa.

On the contrary, Ghana and other Africa countries are still stuck in socio-cultural beliefs that condemns the disabled to his or her fate, hence the inability to develop disabled sports to a higher level and be competitive and this is evidenced in the low number of African participants in the Games, even though this is not to suggest that we have less number or no persons with disability on the continent who are endowed with sporting talents that can be developed and tapped for national representation on the international scene.

Ghana abounds in a lot of talents; from the blind to amputees, to “ dwarfs” and even people with mental challenges, who when identified, trained and groomed with the right policies on disability, can be worthy sports men and women and highly ranked ambassadors.

On a rather interesting note, the country's sports laws seems not have made enough provisions on disability sports, whilst none of the political parties see the need for an elaborate manifesto on sports development, let alone to consider the disability aspect.

Inspite of the socio-cultural challenges and economic difficulties, disability sports can still be explored to the fullest potential not only in Powerlifting, Cycling and Athletics, even though I share the same opinion with the President of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC), Bishop Cornelius Adja Cofie, that disabled sports is growing basically on the grounds that Ghana competed and qualified the four athletes to participate in the event as against previous participation on wild cards..

I also share the opinion that the disabled sporting industry needs further diversification to include other sporting disciplines so that Ghana can increase her participants at the Games and make use of the 'gold mine' that is far from been explored.

It is in this vein, that there is the need for all stakeholders under the National Spots Associations (NSA) in the face of the challenges to help develop disabled components of their respective disciplines and organize national competitions for persons with disability at least once in a year, whilst efforts are made in areas with a relative advantage to unearth talents and groom them for international events.

This, without doubt, will be the surest way to increase our medal haul at least at the All Africa Games and the Commonwealth Games as well as the Paralympic Games just like South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt and a few other African countries.

It is a fact that sports as an industry is under-funded in Ghana and Africa due to competing developmental demands from all sectors, but an improvement in budgetary allocation and commitment on the part of leadership; National Sports Authority (NSA), Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) and indeed the government could go a long way to help rectify the situation if issues of disability are of supreme concern to all.

One cannot digest these issues without mentioning the involvement of corporate bodies, who have over the years developed several Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) strategies in several areas including persons with disability, but are yet to explore the opportunities in Disabled Sports - a global money raking industry and a major advertising opportunity considering the fact the 2012 Paralympics Games is being sponsored by multinationals such as BMW and McDonalds among others.

It is an area in which the corporate bodies can easily explore, especially when disable sports has been a major source of medals for Ghana at the All Africa Games and Commonwealth Games since 2003 and the crowning of Ajara Mohammed as the 2011 Sports Personality of the Year by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) is an ample evidence of opportunities in that field that give hope to medal haul for Ghana at international feats.

One can imagine the impact and a trickle-down effect of what 10,000 USD as the prize money for Ajara Mohammed for winning two gold medals at AAG can make on her and possible her dependants and other disabled persons who will then see her as a role model.

Para-Sports is indeed an unexplored area, in terms of benefits of social integration of people with disability, it is also a forum that heavily deals with social vices such as petty stealing and begging on the streets among others as well as the global recognition and economic impacts it comes with, especially for the participants who will feel they are part of the society and must be given the due recognition when it matters.

With the recent launch of Sign Wiki, Namibians and others can now communicate with the hearing impaired through a new interactive site.

The site is a cooperation initiative between the Ministry of Education, the Icelandic International Development Agency (ICEIDA) and the Communication Centre for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SHH) in Iceland.

"When they thought of Sign Wiki, they immediately thought of other developing countries and Namibia was one of the first countries they thought of. We joined in the venture because we are here to see the development of sign language and this is a platform for both the deaf and people that can hear," said Centre for Communication and Deaf Studies Head of Department Lizette Beukes. The centre is situated in Khomasdal.

She explained that Sign Wiki is a teacher's resource and is more than just a sign dictionary that can be used by the hearing to communicate with the deaf. The site shows what the different communication signs are and explains their meanings.

"This a great platform because now, for example, interpreters can use Sign Wiki in the event that one needs to know what the sign for 'judge' is - you can simply go on your cellphone and be able to communicate," she said.

But Sign Wiki is not only meant for deaf people and teachers - it can also be utilised by parents who have deaf children and would like to communicate with them, as well as being useful for learners.

She said the Centre for Communication and Deaf Studies (CCDS) staff have been trained in how to upload videos onto the site and a teachers' workshop was held to equip teachers with the information and know-how on Sign Wiki.

"For the deaf people this is a major achievement because this site shows their sign language to the rest of Namibia and it will be a tool for hearing parents with deaf children - and the rest of Namibia can learn sign language. It is a big achievement to have sign language available and accessible," she said.

She explained that there has already been over 100 signs loaded onto the site and over the course of the next months, more signs will be loaded to give the public more access to sign language

"The Namibian Directorate of Examinations now recognizes sign language and we are concentrating on various ways to further expand and Sign Wiki is an example of how further we can expand," said Edda Bohn, the Director for Programmes and Quality Assurance in the Ministry of Education.

She noted that over the years sign language has developed and said the ministry will continue strengthening the efforts of CCDS through partnerships with ICEIDA. "It has been an ongoing initiative in that resources have been set aside since 2006 to expand the initiative. The expansion of the centre will be seen as further addressing the national need for deaf education and the further development of sign language," she said

A 23-year-old man has pleaded guilty in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court to raping an eight-year-old boy

Siyabonga Dladla, who is deaf, was assisted by an interpreter skilled in the use of sign language during court proceedings.

Dladla admitted in a statement that on January 1 he had seen a child walking along the road and called him in sign language.

The boy resisted going with Dladla but he dragged him to a toilet and raped him.

A state psychologist found the child to be psychologically and emotionally traumatised. He now fears being in the company of older boys.

The Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, yesterday treated widows and disabled persons to a lavish party as part of activities marking his 78th birthday.
Giving out gifts to his guests, Igbinedion regretted that beneficiaries of the N5 million loan he gave out two years ago did not pay back.
He said it was meant to be a revolving loan, so that others could benefit.
Igbinedion pledged to provide more loans for the widows and provide motorised wheel chairs for disabled persons .
Igbinedion began his birthday celebration on August 31 and the activities will end in London on September 28.

Over 300 physically challenged persons under the group Mission of Hope in Johnsonville Township, lower Montserrado County have accused government of abandoning them. They claimed the authorities here have forgotten them despite their contributions to the country and people during useful years.

Victor Wilson, Head of the Mission of Hope said the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare provides about US$200.00 periodically for their upkeep, but the amount is insufficient.

"What can US$200.00 do for over 300 persons? Many times we go to bed hungry or sometimes eat once a day because we don't have it and what is being allotted is not enough," Wilson told the media in the area.

Members of the group lamented their plight after they received 50 bags of rice and other assorted items from an organization called The Brotherhood of Marja through the effort of a former legislative aspirant Jimmy Smith of Montserrado County District Two.

John Beah, Deputy Chief of Mission of The Brotherhood of Marja told the malnourished handicapped it was disheartening to see people who labored for their country for years to feel abandoned.

"I almost shed tears when I got out of the car upon arrival. Because I could not believe what I saw of the disabled people as their condition looks so horrible," Beah noted.

He said it was a surprise to seen people, who at some moments in their respective lives contributed immensely to the nation to currently live in a sorrowful condition at their old age.

AllAfrica.com
Tagged: NGO, Nigeria, West Africa, Women BY OJOMA AKOR, 5 SEPTEMBER 2012

A Non-Governmental Organization called Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI) has called for more support and investment on women with disabilities.

Founder of the group, Patience Ogolo made the call yesterday at the first annual national conference of the organization in Abuja. She said "Women with disabilities are facing a lot of challenges which need to be addressed. For example they are not factored in the public health sector at all. Some women with disabilities cannot communicate when they go to the hospital. And some cannot walk into the hospital. Infrastructures should also be constructed with them in mind; persons with disabilities have to choose places to go because many of them are not accessible.

There is need for them to be mainstreamed into all issues so that things can be easier for them." She called for a speedy passage of the Person with Disabilities Bill saying it will go a long way in helping persons with disabilities. Ogolo urged parents to educate their children with disabilities. She urged communities to remove stigmatization of persons with disabilities and their families, and government should play more roles in making life better for them.

Peace FM Online-2012/09/07
Date: 07-Sep-2012
Samuel Tsatsu aka Adzaguda, Jerry Kelvin and deaf and dumb suspect

THREE PERSONS have been arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for their alleged involvement in the killing of five women in and around Sogakope in the Volta Region.

The suspects, Samuel Tsatsu aka Adzaguda Razzick, 70, Jerry Kelvin, 37, and the third suspect, who is yet to be identified, were arrested in separate operation in the vicinity of Sogakope.

Items such as strips of red calico, six brassieres, seven ladies’ blouses, four dirty scarves, a number of strings of ladies’ waist beads, five pairs of female sandals, two knives, two non-functioning mobile phones and an amount of GH?480 were retrieved from Adzaguda’s room and are being kept as exhibits at the CID Headquarters.

The Director-General CID, Prosper Agblor, told journalists in Accra, yesterday, that since the arrest of the suspected serial killers, the Sogakope area had seen no such murder incidents.

So far, two of the five women, identified as Baby Dugbenu, 30, and Diana Daakpene, 34, were both insane. The former hailed from Vume and the latter from Tefle.

Ages of two unidentified were believed as 28, 25 while the third person was decomposed beyond recognition.

The CID boss narrated that from September 2011 to June 23 this year, the victims were found dead lying in a supine position with marks of violence and their legs spread apart with their vaginas mutilated.

Investigations showed that the incident scenes were undisturbed indicating that the victims might have been killed at one location and dumped at another.

Pathologists at the Police and Korle-Bu Teaching Hospitals have confirmed that all the five victims had died under unnatural circumstances.

The CID boss recounted that on September 15, 2011, Baby Dugbenu, resident of Kpotame, near Vume, left home at about 6am dressed in a brown skirt and blue pullover and was last seen roaming about in the Sogakope, Tefle and Vume neighbourhood.

She was later found dead lying half naked with her hands and neck tied with a strip of red calico and tied to a plantain sucker.

The second incident was on November 10, 2011 when the decomposed body of another female was found in a bush between Kpotame and Vume off the Sogakope-Accra Highway. She also lay in a supine position with a goat’s skull placed between her thighs and a clay pot wrapped with a white calico by her.

This was followed by two incidents in May, 2012. The body of a-yet-to-be identified woman, 28, was found on May 16, at about 5am on Kamlonyikope, a Tefle suburb, with a stab below the navel and intestines gushing out while part of her vagina was cut off.

At about 4:30pm, Diana Daakpene from Sokpe near Sogakope was found lying dead by an anthill at Tefle.

She also had her neck tied with red calico and her genitals removed.
Both breasts were cut off. A deep cut was also inflicted on her abdomen.

The last was on June 23, 2012 when the body of an unidentified woman believed to be 25 was found at one of the toilet cubicles of the Vume Roman Catholic (RC) Primary School.

A red band was tied around the neck with marks of violence on her face while blood oozed from her mouth.

Intelligence gathered by the police showed Adzaguda, on June 22, 2012, was seen in the company of the deceased at about 9:30pm in Tefle, a night before she was found dead.

The yet-to-be-identified suspect, who claimed to be deaf and dumb, was reported to have attacked one Ernestina Zaku, 42, who went to wash by a stream in Tefle in the company of two of her children at about 12noon on June 25, 2012.

The suspect reportedly emerged from the bush and when the victim asked him of his mission, he attacked and attempted to strangulate her.

The suspect has since his arrest refused to talk, indicating he was deaf and dumb but the police did not believe him.

The third suspect, Jerry Kelvin, was perambulating in the vicinity while the police was escorting the said deaf and dumb suspect to court.

When he was quizzed, he could not give any reason for his behaviour. He was therefore arrested on suspicion of being an accomplice.

The Magistrate, Ali Baba Abature, remanded them into prison custody and directed that Jerry and the dumb person be sent to the psychiatric hospital for observation.

(イベント案内)　９月八日、JICA研修　日本・アフリカ交流セミナー

Accra, Sept .11, GNA - Mr. Emmanuel K. Sackey, President of the Ghana National Association for the Deaf (GNAD), has called on government to provide sign language interpreters for deaf students in tertiary institutions in Northern Ghana.

He said deaf students in tertiary institutions could not fully participate in academic activities due to the lack of sign language interpreters.

Speaking at a workshop on deaf education, he explained that deaf students in tertiary institutions in the North are currently paying for the services of sign language interpreters aside their tuition fee.

“Disability law 18(A) says that people with disability are entitled to free education, but we pay excess” he added.

Mr. Sackey said that government provides for tertiary students in the southern sector of the country and appealed that it should be extended to tertiary students in the North.

Ms Rosemond Ndama Blay, Director of Special Education Division at the Ghana Education Service (GES), noted that, GES is not responsible for funding tertiary education of deaf students.

She emphasized that the Special Education Division was responsible for only the primary and secondary education of the deaf students.

She said the division could not provide sign language interpreters for the tertiary institutions because they have no statistics on the number of students admitted as tertiary institutions recruit their own lecturers.

Some challenges identified at the workshop included: How to maintain the services of sign language interpreters in tertiary institutions, and how to provide service centres for deaf students in tertiary institutions.

Participants at the workshop recommended that government should provide sign language interpreters for deaf students during interviews and provide scholarship schemes for deaf students as well as creating a policy that will ensure that new tertiary institutions make special provision for all disabled students before they are given accreditation.

They also suggested that the Ministry of Education (MOE) should discuss the grades at which sign language interpreters in tertiary institutions are recruited.

The workshop was attended by executives of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf, representatives from the Ghana Education Service and other disability units.

A LARGE crowd of deaf, hearing and hard of hearing party revellers flocked to Bassline in Newtown, Johannesburg, to see, hear, feel, taste, smell and dance to the music of various artists from across the country during the Sencity Festival.

Sign language interpreters, video jockeys, sign dancers, aroma jockeys, light artists, taste jockeys and a vibrating dance floor made it possible for the deaf community to understand the sounds and the music.

Though the deaf people could not hear sounds of Soweto band Skin2Soul they danced to songs such as Loxion Super Model and Bana.

Deaf DJs such as Matty, Tappy and Lancelot also captivated the crowd with their performances.

While they entertained the audience with their melodious sounds, top South African sign language interpreters such as SABC sign language news presenter Fortune Madlala, Andiswa Gebashe, Tina Bothaand Sibusiso Mondlana narrated the music. Madlala and Gebashe, Phili Zangwa and Nelia Kruger were the sign dancers for the audience.

Sencity is a sensory experience organised by a team of deaf, hard of hearing and hearing people. The spectacular event formed part of the Johannesburg Arts Alive International Festival.

One of the coordinators of the event who is also deaf, Jabulile Ngwenya said the event brought the people together to experience the emotions of music.

Skin2Soul lead singer Tshidiso Setshogwe said the band enjoyed performing for the deaf community because they "could feel and see their attention".

The popular deaf actress, who featured in Muvhango as Kuki, Simphiwe Mkhize said: "I am very happy with how things turned out. This is also a perfect date because it forms part of the International Deaf Awareness Month."

A PHYSICALLY handicapped French woman, Dominique Veran (51), and her compatriots: hearing impaired Laurence Marandon-Acloceve (50), and Romain Soler (30), who is blind, were all tears of joy at Mweka Gate after conquering the roof of Africa.

Mrs Veran, who became disabled at the age of 28 years, after giving birth to her second child who later died,　ascended Mount Kilimanjaro through Marangu route on Monday last week in the company of 10 French compatriots　who all reached Africa's highest peak.

During their six-day expedition, the French climbers were escorted by four guides and 37 porters from the Arushabased　tour firm -- Nature Discovery.Speaking to reporters, Mrs Veran said after her successful climb of a mountain　in Morocco, she mobilized for sponsorship to enable her scale Mount Kilimanjaro, her lifetime dream that came true.

In his remarks, the Kilimanjaro National Park Warden in the Department of Tourism, Mr Stephen Moshi, challenged　all able-bodied persons to scale Africa's highest peak now that disabled persons have recorded success in　reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, a large dormant -- but not extinct -- volcano composed of three main　volcanic peaks.

Meanwhile, Joseph Ayoub aged 12 became the youngest British boy to successfully climb Mount Kilimanjaro last　week while his mother became the most glamorous summiteer this year, according to an e-mailed report.

The report says that mum and son after climbing for seven days up Kilimanjaro's demanding Machame route,　adding that while Joseph celebrated by promoting the Kilimanjaro charity website he had built himself, his mum,　who runs her own designer sportswear business, felt the need to cool off, get a little sun and touch up their lippy.

Tamale, Sept 17, GNA - Muslim Deaf Development, Ghana (MDD), a non- governmental organization (NGO), dedicated to championing the interest of hearing-impaired Muslims, has been inaugurated in Tamale.

Speaking at the event at the weekend, Mr Iddrisu Muktar, Executive Director of the MDD, said the NGO, which is affiliated to the Global Deaf Muslims (GDM), an organization based in the United States of America, was committed to working with parents, Islamic scholars, organizations and the wider Muslim world to advance Islamic education of deaf Muslims.

He said the MDD would also facilitate dialogue between deaf and hearing Muslims, promote awareness of deaf rights, enhance the provision of sign language interpreters at mosques and other Islamic events amongst others.

Mr Muktar lamented that hearing-impaired Muslims faced a lot of discrimination and marginalization hence the need to work to eliminate those acts.

He cited non-interpretation of Islamic preaching and teachings in sign language at mosques as discrimination act against hearing-impaired Muslims.

Mr Muktar said: "remember that the deaf are not different from others" adding they were capable of doing anything ,and called on government to improve the situation persons living with disabilities.

Mr Nashiru Abdulai, President of GDM, appealed to deaf Muslims to be proud of their condition and work harder to attain their full potential.

Mrs Elizabeth De-Souza, Northern Regional Director of Education, in a speech read on her behalf, asked the MDD to establish a well-equipped modern library for deaf Muslims in the region.

Muslim Deaf Development, Ghana (MDD), a non-governmental organization (NGO), dedicated to championing the interest of hearing-impaired Muslims, has been inaugurated in Tamale.

Mr Muktar lamented that hearing-impaired Muslims faced a lot of discrimination and marginalization hence the need to work to eliminate those acts.

He cited non-interpretation of Islamic preaching and teachings in sign language at mosques as discrimination act against hearing-impaired Muslims.

Mr Muktar said: "remember that the deaf are not different from others"
adding they were capable of doing anything ,and called on government to improve the situation persons living with disabilities.

Mr Nashiru Abdulai, President of GDM, appealed to deaf Muslims to be proud of their condition and work harder to attain their full potential.

Mrs Elizabeth De-Souza, Northern Regional Director of Education, in a speech read on her behalf, asked the MDD to establish a well-equipped modern library for deaf Muslims in the region.

AllAfrica.com
Tagged: Human Rights, Liberia, West Africa BY VARNEY M. KAMARA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2012

Implementation of the national education policy is bias by excluding and abandoning persons with disabilities, the acting principal of the School of the Blind, Mrs. Eve D.K. Nifor, has lamented.

"The government is always reluctant when it comes to giving everyone equal access to education," Mrs. Nifor told participants Friday at a workshop held to assess progress on the United Nations GOAL: Education for All.

Addressing the workshop on the theme, "Inclusive Education For All", Mrs. Nifor urged the government to change its attitude towards persons with disabilities.

She cried that the government finds no problems in providing subsidies for other schools, but when it comes to the School of the Blind, excuses come galore.

In order to fully achieve education for all, she emphasized that "blind people and other persons with disabilities must included in the national education policy."

"We are all citizens and I think we should be treated equally. Even people at state-run University of Liberia need to change their attitudes toward blind people. If you don't teach people to teach blind people they will be liabilities to society. Help us to make the contributions we have to make to our society," she added.

Kumasi, Sept. 18, GNA - The Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Social Welfare, Ms Juliana Owusu, has reminded persons with disability to put to good use their two per cent share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).

She expressed discomfort about the misuse of the money by some of the beneficiaries and said that was negating the intended purpose of the fund which was meant to assist them to become economically self-supporting.

It should therefore be channeled into the provision of technical aids and assistive devices, educational support, employable skills training programmes and income generation activities.

Ms Owusu was addressing a day’s seminar on the disbursement and management of the two percent allocation of the DACF for some persons with disability in Kumasi.

It was organized by the District Assembly Common Fund Management Committee to help them to have better understanding of the guidelines for expending the money.
She said she was confident that the programme would build the capacity of the participants to participate more effectively in the entire disbursement process.

Ms Owusu encouraged them to report breaches of directives on the disbursement by the assemblies to their National Council for redress.

Mr Francis Amedor of the Ghana Society for the Physically Disabled urged his colleagues to take employable skills training programmes seriously to improve their economic situation.

Times of Zambia
September 18, 2012 | Filed underLocal News | Posted by mitia By KETRA KALUNGA -

THE National Trust Fund for Persons with Disability (NTFPD) has praised President Michael Sata for assenting to the new Persons with Disability Act No 6 of 2012 which has repealed the previous Act Cap 33 of the Laws of Zambia.

NTFPD chairperson for resource mobilisation and publicity committee, Larry Njungu said at a briefing yesterday that the new Act was a clear fulfillment of the Patriotic Front (PF) Government’s promise of reviewing the legal and policy framework in the country to streamline organisations dealing with disabilities and improve service delivery.

“The new persons with disability Act No 6 of 2012 which our President has just assented to, is indeed evidence that the Government is domesticating and implementing the 2008 United Nations General Assembly convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, he said.

Mr Njungu said Government has done its level best in keeping the fund going since its commencement and he called on the private sector to come on board and complement Government efforts.

He said new law would go a long way in raising the profile of persons with disabilities and enhance their participation in national development.

He said NTFPD would strive to ensure that persons with disabilities full entrepreneurship potential is realised.

He affirmed that NTFPD would realign its services and programmes in line with the new Act and of the envisaged new Government policy, adding that the new law was progressive as it reinforces their principle mandate of empowering persons with disability economically in the country.

Mr Njungu said the new Act had extended the NTFPD mandate of conducting research on persons with disabilities and their welfare and conduct studies designed to elicit best practices in as far as economic empowerment was concerned.

Mr Njungu further said for NTFPD, the new Act re-emphasised the training of persons with disabilities to uplift their skills, especially in areas of entrepreneurship which was an important component of the fund.

He said the fund would periodically undertake or facilitate studies that would provide economic solutions towards addressing challenges that persons with disabilities face in the Zambia.

“As NTFPD, we will continue to do our level best in executing our mandate and ensure that persons with disability who find it difficult to get into formal employment, at least access loans to start up commercial ventures,” he said.

Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner, Leonidas Gama Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner Leonidas Gama has instructed all district councils in the region to monitor closely all public structures being put up in order to ensure that they are user-friendly to people with disability.

Gama said this over the weekend when opening a one-day seminar to sensitise government officials in the region on issues related to people with disability.

The seminar was organised by a non-governmental organisation which provides health services to people with disability - CCRBT, whose theme was: "Strengthening services to people with disabilities for sustainable social development".

He said many people have only been looking out for themselves, which is why most public places and buildings are built in a not-so user-friendly for people with disability.

“In our society, and elsewhere around the globe, disability goes hand in hand with stigma deeply rooted in traditions. There is a misconception that people with disability are dependent and cannot survive on their own. We need to correct this thinking," he said. He said the region was planning to provide training in sign language to government officials in a bid to curb challenges facing people with disabilities so that they can communicate effectively with people with hearing disabilities.

Earlier, Dr Henry Nyamubi said being disabled was very costly due to misconceptions in the society, particularly towards education, development, employment and economic opportunities.

He said currently, it was difficult to give accurate figures of people with disabilities in the country and around the world, but estimates in the country put the figures between 3.5 million and 5 million, whereas in Kilimanjaro Region alone there are between 150,000 and 220,000 people with disabilities.

For his part, the Chief Executive Officer for CCBRT, Etiwn Telemans, said that in order to recognise the challenges facing people with disabilities, they have been running different programmes including those on HIV/Aids to create awareness.

He said that these projects have been getting support from USAID and other organisations, and that so far a total of 51 health centers in 15 Districts of Tanzania Mainland have been constructed.

Luanda - At least 248 war disabled people in Andulo Municipality, central Bie province, will benefit from professional training, within two months, under the extension of the fourth phase of Vem Comigo project, Angop has learnt.

They will attend the training in a mobile centre with the Ministry of Public Administration, Employment and Social Security (Mapess) that will start functioning within two months.

This was announced by the coordinator of the mentioned project, Silva Lopes Etiambulo, who said that it will facilitate their insertion at the labor market.

Hundred and twenty people with disability in the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa(AOB) District in the Central Region have benefited from a financial support from government.
The amount, distributed to each to each beneficiary, ranged from GH?150 to GH?500 and was sourced from their two per cent share of the District Assemble Common Fund.

The categories of person with disability who benefited were the blind, visually impaired and the physically challenged.

The first batch received amounts ranging from GH? 150 to GH? 350 whereas the second had GH? 150 to GH? 500.

The AOB District Chief Executive, Mrs Georgina Nkrumah Aboah, told the beneficiaries to put the money received to good use, adding that it was the government’s commitment towards improving their lives.

According to her, people with disability should not look down upon themselves, since they had God-given talents and potential which they could develop to better their lives.

She stressed that the financial support was to help restore dignity to them as it would help put a stop to situations where disabled persons begged for alms along the road and at lorry parks.

She particularly made a passionate appeal to them to take active interest in the affairs of the country and contribute meaningfully to the development of the nation.

Madam Khadija Adam took the beneficiaries through how to start business of their choice and reminded them of the need to invest the money in sustainable businesses.

She urged them to regularly assess their businesses since it would enable them to know whether they were making profit or not.

The chief of Breman Kuntunase, Nana Odum Kweku Essilfie III, who chaired the event, stated that although the government would not take the money back, it did not mean that the money should be misused.

Nana Essilfie, who is also the chairman of the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa District Fund Management Committee for Persons with Disabilities, added his voice to the call on the beneficiaries to invest the money in profitable businesses that would improve their standard of living.

He disclosed that the committee would monitor the beneficiaries regularly to ensure proper utilization of the money.

The AOB District Social Welfare Officer, Mr Jacob Asiedu, took the beneficiaries through the various sections of the Disability Act 715.

He added that the passage of the Disability Act in 2006 showed the government’s commitment to improve the lot the disabled.

In an interview, the Central Regional Interpreter for the Ghana National Association for the Deaf, Mr Michael Afeveh Atsu, appealed to corporate organisations, particularly hospitals to employ the services of interpreters so that they could communicate with the deaf and dump who visited them for medical attention.

Present at the ceremony was the President of the Ghana Society for the Disabled in the district, Mr C.A. Tabiri.

The Chairman of the leading Sports Betting and Lottery Company, Mercury International Charity Foundation, Samir Hassanyeh on Wednesday 19th September , presented a cash cheque of (Le10m) Ten million Leones to executive members of the Sierra Leone Deaf Association (SLDA).

Handing over the cheque at a very short ceremony at his Rawdon Street office, Hassanyeh said that the money was to prepare the SLDA football team for a friendly football match against their Gambian counterparts, at the Kingtom Football Academy in Freetown.

This is to mark the International Day of the Deaf on Friday 28th September 2012.

“I am very happy to be in strong partnership with the disabled in this country and will always continue to help them as part of Mercury International’s corporate social responsibility,” Samir Hassanyeh told the cheering crowd of deaf and dumb who witnessed the presentation.

He revealed that way back in April this year, Mercury International gave the SLDA, Le5m (Five Million Leones) to enable them take part in a football gala in neighbouring Liberia and further pledged: “the disabled of this country will continue to enjoy our support as long as Mercury International exists!”

Receiving the cheque of Le 10m, President of the Sierra Leone Deaf Association, Ramatu Sesay, said that words alone cannot express their happiness for the gesture.

She said: “the whole SLDA membership is expressing its thanks to Mercury International and especially Chairman Samir Hassanyeh for always coming to our aid whenever we are in dire need of help.”

Madam Sesay added that they would not have been able to join their colleagues worldwide to commemorate the International Day of the Deaf , had it not been for the timely intervention and generosity of Mercury International (SL) Limited and prayed that the company excels.

SLDA Director of Sports, who also doubles as the association’s Vice President, Alhaji Mohamed Rahman, highlighted some of the difficulties facing them but was hopeful that with Mercury International around to help, they are bound to succeed in similar ventures.

Alhaji Mohamed Rahman concluded, “I pray to the Almighty God for Mercury International to continue to be in business in this country, so that the company will continue to always help the needy.”

Mother and child - (Arsenie Coseac)
By Cosmas Mungazi
SYFIA INTERNATIONAL/Worldcrunch

GOMA - In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, mothers of disabled children, rather than being given the help they need, are typically blamed for the disability -- and often literally chased out of their homes.

Lingering local superstitions say that a mother is somehow responsible for her child's health problems -- and the consequences can be cruel.

"They accuse me of being a witch and say it is my fault that my baby has a crippled leg," says Dany, a young mother, with tears in her eyes.

Fran?oise Walimwengu, 30, has been rejected by her family and forced to live alone with her disabled child. She had to leave behind her three other, healthy children, whom her husband wanted to keep.

"None of my ancestors were disabled. So why did my wife give birth to a child with a paralyzed arm and leg?" a man asks, after requesting anonymity. He explains that he made his wife and child leave his house, telling her, "I'm giving you this gift of love. That child belongs to you. No one will ever ask you for it. But you can forget that we are married."

Maggy, another woman, gave birth to a mentally handicapped child. Forced out of her home, she left her child at the doorstep of her ex-husband's sister's house. "Her husband had already abandoned her, and afterwards she abandoned the child. We became his parents," says Lydie Nechi Mungongo, who takes care of David, now six years old.

Such unhappy stories are legion -- and now a new organization is working to help these mothers and children escape from their social and economic isolation. "These mothers are alone and often illiterate. They make their living from menial jobs that bring in very little income,"

explains ?tienne Paluku, president of the Association of Parents of Children With Brain Damage (APEC), which helps the most vulnerable women, especially with medical care.

Dr. Henry Tchongo Kataliko has treated many of these families. "It is regrettable to note that, almost always, and without any medical examination, the mother is blamed for her child's handicap."

Children born with a disability are above all a burden for families, because of all the money and time needed to care for them. "My child is eight years old, but does not study because nobody can take him to school. He needs help to eat, wash and go to the toilet," says Fran?oise Walimwengu.

"For the past five years I have not done anything. All I do is take care of my older brother's child, whose parents abandoned him," confirms Lydia, David's adoptive mother. Basic care is free for parents who are members of the association, says Dr. Henry Tchongo, a specialist in rehabilitation and physical therapy at the Center for the Disabled, who is in charge of their care.

APEC allows these parents’ voices to be heard. "For example, we had a demonstration in May, on the International Day of the African Child, to proclaim that handicapped children and their mothers have the same right to protection as everyone else," declares Clarice, a mother and influential member of APEC. She, too, was rejected by her family and her husband after giving birth to a disabled child.

APEC also supports women who want to go take their husbands to court for forcing them out of their homes. "Thanks to us, Jacqueline Kavira, a mother, won her lawsuit against her ex-husband," an APEC member recounts, proudly. The Goma justice of the peace required the family to give her back all her rights. However, the only payment ordered was for damages, and to date she has received nothing.

"Our goal is to eliminate discrimination and marginalization. We are often victims," summarizes Fran?oise Walimwengu.

"My father divorced my mother because I was born handicapped," says B?atrice, age 20. She learned to read and write through APEC, which helps some children who have no support at all to learn these skills.

B?atrice believes that the best way to fight discrimination is for the courts to punish the guilty severely.

Unfortunately, Fran?oise adds, "my child's father did indeed promise in front of the judge that he would pay for all the child's needs, but he never kept his promise." To complicate the situation, "the government does not have any funds set aside for people with disabilities," says an official at the provincial division for social affairs. Yet these situations are not rare. In the past three years, APEC has registered more than 500 parents of handicapped children. Parents especially regret that Handicap International, for its part, is concerned only with handicaps caused by war.

She felt the signs of labour sneaking into her body and immediately alerted her husband who did not waste time but picked her up together with a bag of belongings they had kept in wait for this moment. He sent out word to relations to escort them to the hospital. The husband had been enthusiastic about the pregnancy and was looking forward to siring the family’s third child. A few days later twenty three year old Alinafe Lazo had a baby girl. Unfortunately the husband’s excitement rapidly melted when he realized that the new born child was a paraplegic case, born with the paralysis of the lower part of the body. The baby also had only two fingers on her otherwise as well as a paralyzed left hand. No sooner had the couple gone home than the condition of the child became a source of compulsive arguments which eventually turned into a trip-wire that pulled down their matrimonial home.

Now at the age of twenty five, Alinafe, who hails from Kanyole village in Ngabu, Chikwawa, on the southern tip of Malawi says she is single handedly raising the daughter after the husband abandoned the family and re-married away from home at one of the tea growing estates in Thyolo district. Senior Group Village Headman Malemia of Ngabu says for a long time the birth of a child with signs of severe disability were a source marital problems including marriage break-ups and witch-craft accusations not only in his area but throughout the country.

Historically, disability was understood in mythological terms with society believing that people with disabilities were possessed by evil spirits or that the condition was a punishment for past wrongdoing.

Malemia explains that not long ago traditional birth attendants who helped mothers deliver babies would kill new human off-springs born with physical deficiencies that were perceived to threaten the normal day to day lifestyles of their immediate families and communities. “Once they observed that the deformity of the child would intrude into the normal space of the family and community they would kill it without telling the mother,” he says explaining that the family was only told that they had given birth to a still baby.

The traditional leader adds; “This was also done in order not to frustrate the mother against falling pregnant again.” However, recently developments in science and medicine has helped to create an understanding that disability has a biological or medical basis, with impairments in body function and structure being associated with different health conditions. Malemia applauds the introduction of modern hospitals and religions such as Christianity which have promoted safe births and growth of children with disabilities. “It is good that the society is now trying to address the social barriers and discrimination that people with disabilities face because these people have an impact on national development,” says Malemia. Felix Mbewe, a lecturer at Montfort Training College observes that addressing the problems associated with people’s disability is a step to reducing the risk of poverty in any country. “It is important that for the country to reduce poverty by ensuring that health, education and livelihood opportunities are accessible to people with disabilities,” he says adding that while not all people with disabilities are poor, people with disabilities are ranked among the poorest because they are often neglected, discriminated against and excluded from mainstream development initiatives, and find it difficult to access health, education, housing and livelihood opportunities resulting in greater poverty, isolation, and even premature death.

Mbewe was speaking in Chikwawa district on the sidelines of an Early Childhood Development training for community leaders, families of children with disabilities and care givers of Community Based Care Centres (CBCCs) aimed at promoting the introduction of children with disabilities into schools. The training was organized by Parents of Disabled Children Association of Malawi (PODCAM) with financial support from Sightsavers. PODCAM is a local NGO that seeks to assist children with disabilities and their parents/guardians, to maximize their potential as individuals and enjoy maximum opportunity to determine their physical, emotional, social and economicic lives. PODCAM Projects Officer Hanneck Mdoka says his organization is an advocacy and lobby non governmental organization established to act as platform for parents with children with disabilities to voice their concerns in 21 districts across the country. Mdoka notes that parents in the country were concerned that the rights of children with disabilities had for some time been overlooked and that there were no equal opportunities for children with disabilities, a situation which bled the denial of basic rights to children with disabilities that are guaranteed to all other children. “As such there was that need to support parents of children with disabilities to cope with hostility, stigma and discrimination from the community,” says the officer who further observed that children with disabilities demand constant specialized care and heightened communication skills on the part of parents and members of the community.

The association monitors the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which came into force in 2008 and commits States to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. “PODCAM is a forum through which these people can share experiences, ideas, lessons learnt and strategies,” he says explaining that following stakeholder consultations it was noted that parents of children with disabilities in Malawi were faced with a number of challenges affecting their wards that included high levels of poverty, scarcity of resources, lack of information to make informed choices, high unemployment levels, structural imbalances, lack of formal and informal training and education for children and young people with disabilities. Mdoka explains that the introduction of the ECD programme has offered PODCAM and Sightsavers a learning ground that early provision of community based learning initiatives for people with disabilities instils a sense of self confidence, self reliance and courage in the children as they interact with their peers at an early stage.

Mdoka observes that a large number of children with disabilities live in remote areas and have no access to support at the local school. “Their parents are unaware of support agencies such as PODCAM, Sightsavers, Montfort and they do not know that early intervention and training of children with disorders can make a huge difference,” he pointing out that it was because of these circumstances that PODCAM partnered with Sightsavers to reach out into the communities to train parents, community leaders, school teachers and care givers on how to conduct ‘ remedial teaching’. PODCAM mobilizes parents of children with disabilities towards the upliftment of their children’s living conditions by creating awareness on the plight of the children through provision of their protection and survival as well as facilitating the provision of their conducive learning environment. To achieve its objectives PODCAM partners with different organizations such as Sightsavers, an international NGO which delivers a comprehensive eye service project with emphasis bordering on service delivery, human resource development and infrastructure and equipment supplies. In 2007 Sightsavers launched the South West Zone Project with an aim to ensure that every person who is blind, visually impaired or at risk of blindness has access to eye services in seven districts of Blantyre, Nsanje, Chikwawa, Mwanza, Chiradzulu, Thyolo and Neno with a total population of 2.5 million people. It is estimated that 25, 000 people in these districts are blind. According to available statistics, education for the blind and visually impaired children is severely limited with less than 70 visually impaired children accessing mainstream schools.

Rehabilitation services for adults who are blind or severely visually impaired are also inadequate, as much as there is a critical shortage of human resources to support delivery of quality services under the eye care, inclusive education and community based rehabilitation components.

Hilda Lupiya, Projects Officer for Sightsavers says her organizations initially assisted children with disabilities at primary, secondary and tertiary school levels before they realized that an early intervention could strike a huge difference in the lives of disabled children. This is why the organisation has embarked on an inclusive education programme for children with any disability since it was found that waiting for the children to be initiated to school at primary level tend to make them feel caged because of the gap created by the discrimination the encounter at home, says Lupiya who adds that eventually such the children have no choice but to drop out of school when they cannot cope.

“When that happens, their self-esteem suffers and they develop behavioural problems,” she says explaining that her organisation is also involved in training teachers, who can not pay attention to weak pupils as they are mostly overwhelmed with work in over crowded classrooms.

Mbewe says in training teachers, parents and care givers special focus is given to learning through observation, experiencing while doing, and oral and visual teaching, a communication and learning approach that can as well be made applicable even in the wider system of education, rather than rote-learning. The trainer oriented the attendants on the importance of inclusive education, how parents and community members can identify children with different types of disabilities and the roles and responsibilities of the parents, care givers and community leaders in caring for children with disabilities. Parents, community leaders and care givers say they have learnt a progressive interactive approach in dealing with these special children. “The approach calls for an understanding of the children’s difficulties, being approachable, and giving them time. The children need to be allowed to express themselves.

This requires flexibility and sensitivity on the part of the parent, care giver or community member,” says Pastor Shadreck Khangala of African Continent Church in Chikwawa who represented the clergy during the training. “Initially, when the children came to our community centres they had a blank look,” says 58 year old Emily Nyumali a care giver at Joni CBCC in Chikwawa. “The new approach we have learnt has enabled them to progress rapidly.

Many of them are opening up, talking more, and there is an improvement in their self-esteem.” Ngabu Child Protection Officer under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Community Welfare, Sam Thom, applauds the PODCAM/Sightsavers initiative saying it has brought out children with disabilities who had been locked up in their homes for fear of public ridicule. One of those is Alinafe’s two year old daughter. Thom explained that the PODCAM/Sightsavers programme will spur inclusive development involving those who are marginalized and often discriminated against. “This programme will motivate people with disabilities and their family members, particularly those living in rural or remote communities who previously did not benefit from development initiatives, ” he said adding that inclusive development is essential to ensure that they can participate meaningfully in development processes and policies.

Mbewe emphasized that mainstreaming the rights of people with disabilities in the development agenda is a way to achieve equality for people with disabilities. “To enable people with disabilities to contribute to creating opportunities, share in the benefits of development, and participate in decision-making, a twin-track approach may be required,” he said explaining that a twin-track approach ensures that disability issues are actively considered in mainstream development work, and more focused or targeted activities for people with disabilities are implemented where necessary. Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) was initiated by the World Health Organization(WHO) following the Declaration of Alma-Ata in 1978. It was promoted as a strategy to improve access to rehabilitation services for people with disabilities in low-income and middle-income countries, by making optimum use of local resources. CBR programmes ensure that people with disabilities and their family members are able to access the benefits of the health, education, livelihood and social sectors with special focus on empowerment through facilitation of the inclusion and participation of disabled people, their family members, and communities in all development and decision-making processes

Zambia Daily Mail
September 24, 2012
| Filed under: Features | Posted by: web editor

ZAMBIA is one of the African countries whose mental health system is still being governed by an archaic piece of legislation, the Mental Disorders Act of 1951.

This piece of legislation does not guarantee respect and protection of human rights of persons with mental disability. On the contrary, it seriously contributes to the violation of some human rights of persons with mental disability. The reason is that this legislation was drafted way back in the 50s largely to ‘safeguard’ members of the public from perceived ‘dangerous’ patients and so isolating them from the public, rather than promoting their rights as people, became the paramount objective.

Some examples of inhuman and degrading treatment which persons with mental disability face in Zambia include, among others:

?being locked away in mental hospitals or in sections of general hospitals which cater for such patients, or even homes where they are shackled for lengthy periods of time and are sometimes even physically manhandled; ?neglect and/or ill-treatment of children with mental disability, who are sometimes chained or tied to beds and can lie in soiled clothing, again for lengthy periods; and ?being locked up in seclusion rooms for hours, days or weeks and sometimes also being denied treatment and food.

The Mental Disorders Act of 1951 promotes the hidden double burden of stigma and discrimination faced by many persons with mental disabilities.

In Zambia, stigmatisation of persons with mental disabilities persists and is manifested by stereotyping, fear, embarrassment, anger and rejection or avoidance. Reference to such persons is often derogatory and demeaning. Such terms as Chainama case, mental case, cofuntha, ilishilu, alikakuka ama bolts’ etc., all invoke ridicule upon the patient and makes it difficult for them to freely fit into society.

Because of this stigma, persons with mental disabilities are sometimes denied their civil and political, and economic, social and cultural rights especially within their communities where their disadvantaged situations are well documented. Physical, sexual and psychological abuse is an everyday experience for many persons with mental disability.

A local non-governmental organisation, Mental Health Users Network of Zambia (MHUNZA), whose mission is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with mental disabilities, and have their inherent dignity respected, embarked on a campaign programme to lobby for the repeal of the old mental health law. According to MHUNZA president Sylvester Katontoka, the organisation did during the campaign period manage to garner support from strategic partners, among them members of parliament.

Some seminars and workshops were held with the aim of informing the parliamentarians on the mental health situation in Zambia. In response to this high level of engagement, Parliament tasked the Committee on Health to undertake a national tour to assess the mental health system and make recommendations for the way forward. Their observation was that the current mental health system cannot deliver services to the satisfaction of persons with mental disabilities and the general population at large. This led to a recommendation that the Executive should urgently repeal the ‘Mental Disorders Act’ and review the current Mental Health Policy of 2005.

Mr Katontoka reveals that the Ministry of Health has since instituted a technical team to draft a new mental health bill, the Mental Health Bill of 2012. The drafting of the bill has reached an advanced stage and will be sent to the Ministry of Justice as soon as possible for fine- tuning. Mr Katontoka believes that the passing of this bill into law will see the mental health sector in Zambia address critical issues such as:

As was explained to a team of Commissioners from the Human Rights Commission a few years back by then director of Chainama Hospital, anyone of us can become a patient of mental disability. There are many extenuating circumstances over which we ordinarily may have no control which can lead to this situation. Among them are extended periods of HIV-related illness, depression and other forms of stress and so on. It is therefore important to acknowledge the largely involuntary nature of mental disability and begin to perceive it as an illness like any other.

Such realisation would also entail that the same attention that is given to health facilities like the University Teaching Hospital, Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital and other high profile ones is also given to those health facilities that deal with mental disability. Stocking of relevant drugs, procurement of modern equipment, recruitment and training of staff, development or upgrading of new and existing infrastructure including hospitals, adequate remuneration of medical personnel, etc., should all match the importance we ought to attach to these institutions in our society. Remember, even that Bwana Minister can end up with a mental disability.

Details Published on Wednesday, 26 September 2012 01:45 Written by ISSA YUSSUF in Zanzibar Hits: 74

IN efforts to boost development support for people with disabilities in the Isles, Zanzibar is organizing a fundraising　gala dinner next Friday, the event's organizing committee chairperson, Mr Nassor Mazrui, has said.

"We are finalizing arrangements for the dinner to raise funds to support various activities for people with disabilities," said Mazrui at a press conference held at Bwawani Hotel.

He said that Zanzibar President, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, is expected to officiate at the fundraiser at the Zanzibar Beach Resort and that many people including politicians, members from the business community and individuals from within and outside Zanzibar have been invited.

Mr Mazrui, who is also the Zanzibar Minister for Trade, Industries and Marketing, said that special cards will be sold during the dinner.
He also said that some pictures of people with disabilities will be on display so that individuals or organisations can select a person with disabilities to support.

The minister also heads the Zanzibar People with Disabilities Fund. "We need to raise money for the fund which was launched in January this year to make it sustainable along with the inauguration of the Zanzibar People with Disability Council," he said.

He added that everyone should contribute something, mentioning 031103000002 as the fund's bank account number with the People's Bank of Zanzibar (PBZ).

He stressed that the fund is expected to support more than nine thousand people with disabilities in Zanzibar. "This include buying supplies such cosmetics for albinos and wheelchairs, support in areas of health services, and development projects," he said.

Namati Sierra Leone program director secures dismissal of criminal charge against disabled youth

Freetown 25 Sept 2012: A Magistrate’s court in Sierra Leone today dismissed a criminal charge of ‘knowingly seeking and obtaining registration more than once’ levelled against a hearing impaired teen by the police. On 27 July 2012, the police arrested Foday Mattia, a hearing impaired teen, for registering twice as a voter for the upcoming presidential, parliamentary and local government elections in November 2012. He was detained by the police beyond the constitutionally approved detention period before he was charged to court on a single count.

Unable to afford the services of a lawyer, his colleagues at the Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issues (SLUDI) approached the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone, whose Complaints Registrar referred them to Advocaid, one of Namati Sierra Leone’s local partners that supports justice, education and reintegration for female detainees, and their children, who in turn forwarded the matter to Namati SL.

Sonkita Conteh, Namati’s Sierra Leone Programme Director who represented Foday Mattia during the summary proceedings raised serious doubts from the start about the reliability of the police investigation given the impairment of the accused. Documents intended to be used by the prosecution indicated that no special steps were taken by the police such as using the services of a sign language interpreter to communicate with the disabled youth or carry out the investigations. In dismissing the charge, the magistrate, Komba Kamanda ruled that the failure by the police to indicate how they communicated with the hearing impaired accused in the absence of a sign language interpreter during the investigations creates uncertainties about the content of the statement attributed to the accused and indeed the investigation as a whole. The offence carries a punishment of two years imprisonment or a fine of Le 500,000 (about US$ 115) or both. Disability rights groups have criticised the national election body for not providing special assistance to disabled persons seeking to exercise their right to vote in compliance with the provisions of the Persons with Disability Act 2011, a claim which the election commission denies.

Ho, Sept. 26, GNA-Voice of People with Disability, Ghana, (Voice-Ghana), a Ho-based NGO, on Tuesday called for the eradication of the inequalities perpetuated against the disabled in the educational sector.

The group, at a press briefing in Ho, attended by stakeholders in disability welfare, said whereas national statutes and international conventions seek to guarantee the disabled the right to education, institutional weaknesses combined with widespread anti-disable sentiments and beliefs had created a wedge between the disabled and education.

Francis Asong, Voice ?Ghana Director, who read the statement, said “ most parents discriminate against their disabled children especially, in the area of formal education because to them it is a waste of resources ”.

He said a result “most children with disability are not formally educated and this reduces their chances of accessing gainful and meaningful employment and to be self-informed about human rights and health issues to live descent lives”.

Mr Asong said Voice-Ghana, with the collaboration of Governance Issues Forum and the Special Education Directorate of the Ho Municipal Ghana Education Service (GES) was undertaking a programme, dubbed “Disabled Children for School” to change the trend.

He said the programme was part of a three-year advocacy project with funding from the group, Strengthening Transparency, Accountability and Responsiveness (STAR)-Ghana.

Mr Asong said as part of the project, “we are engaging the Ho Municipal Assembly to consider enacting a byelaw to waive the payment of levies including PTA dues for children with disabilities at the basic school level in the municipality”.

He said the intervention was expected to “invariably lessen financial burden on many parents and caregivers of children with disabilities who are already overburdened with financial commitments in supporting their disabled children…”

Mr Asong said the campaign also aimed at getting parents to change their attitude towards their disabled children.

A survey, under the programme, which is also being replicated in the Nkwanta-South District, indicated that 51 children with disabilities in 35 communities within the Ho Municipal Area were not in school for various reasons.

According to the survey, 37 of such children were also identified in the Nkwanta-South District.

Mr Thomas Malm, a Teacher and Disabled Rights Campaigner, said the policy of inclusive education could only succeed if teachers were well resourced in both skills and equipment.

Mr Michael Tsikudo, Ho Municipal GES Special Education Officer, said it was the right of the disabled to go to mainstream schools.

Famous for having left South Africans begging for more when he won the SABC 2 reality show, SA’s Got Talent in 2009, deaf hip hop dancer Dareen Rajbal will assist aspiring dancers to hone their dancing skills during the first ever Deaf Theatre Festival.

The festival started yesterday at the Wilson’s Wharf in the Catalina Theatre in Durban.

Under the theme, Accessibility, Freedom of Expression and Opinion, and Access to Information, the festival is meant to encourage public awareness of the potential of deaf people as the country commemorates Deaf Awareness Month this September.

Ending on Sunday, the six-day festival is expected to attract hundreds of people as they take part and interact with the deaf community who will be sharing their artistic talents.

Rajbal will present a unique opportunity for aspiring dancers when he facilitates a hip hop dance workshop to both deaf and hearing hopefuls.

Festival director, Alison Swannack said: “The festival encourages deaf artists to rise above their challenges, showcase the skills of deaf people and reveal the unique culture between sound and silence.”

Swannack said that the different planned activities would “provide a direct window into the experiences, perceptions and world-view of deaf people”.

“It builds a bridge between the deaf and hearing worlds, so that hearing people can access the subtle lives of deaf South Africans,” she said.

Several productions, which include, Talking Hands - The Play, Ultimate Deaf Side Story and Listen with Your Eyes, are some of the plays which will be performed.

The production Listen with Your Eyes will provide audiences with insight into the past and present life experiences of deaf South Africans, as well as a glimpse into a future where deaf and hearing people focus more on what makes them the same, and less on their differences.

Amateur dancers, magicians, comedians and other performers will have the opportunity to showcase their talents on the first-ever Deaf SA’s Got Talent.

The KZN Sign Language Academy will assist participants to learn South African sign language.

The festival promises fun, with learning activities including the showcase of a short film festival produced by deaf filmmakers, A Deaf Culture Theatrical Picnic hosted by Green Heart City, hearing poets and many more.

AllAfrica.com-2012/09/27
Tagged: East Africa, Education, Human Rights, Tanzania BY MEDDY MULISA, 27 SEPTEMBER 2012

Bukoba - DISTRICT Councils in Kagera Region have been urged to set aside funds to enable the re-opening of a vocational training college for people living with disabilities located at Migara, in Bukoba Rural District.

The college was established in 1995 with financial assistance from the Swedish Embassy. It was closed in 2008 due to lack of funds.The Regional Chairperson of the Association for People with Disabilities (Chawata), Laurian Pancras, made the call, adding that before it was closed, the college offered various courses to disabled people in areas such as carpentry, joinery and tailoring.

He said some of the disabled people, who were students at Migara College, had been abandoned forcing them to beg for a living on the streets.He appealed to the Kagera Regional Commissioner (RC), Fabian Massawe, to intervene and ensure funds are availed to enable the college to re-open its doors next year.

He noted that district councils should also provide village committees with subsidies, to enable them cater for disabled people.Meanwhile, Chawata has organized a four-day seminar for people with disabilities in Misenyi, Biharamulo, Muleba and Karagwe districts to enable them be conversant with the law governing people with disabilities of 2010.

He said after attending the seminar, disabled people will know how to demand their rights.According to Mr Pancras, Chawata has a total of 900 paid up members in the region.The seminar has been funded by the Foundation for Civil Society.

The Swazi Observer-Sep 28, 2012
29 September, 2012 11:17:00 By L&E Correspondent

The Miss Deaf contest that will be held on Saturday night at Royal Swazi Spa Convention Centre will see five girls competing for the crown. The big question is who will be crowned the queen?

Here are profiles of the contestants and what they hope to do if they win. The director of the contest, Nokthula Mbatha showed her bravery when she applied for the tender to host the contest. She hosted the event successfully last year. With sponsors behind the contest, the contest is bound to be successful. The dress code is casual, smart or traditional. Don’t spoil the party, come dressed for the occasion Here are the girls vying for the crown:

Age: 23
Why did you join the contest?
I love beauty contests. My parents also encouraged me to join because they saw that in me. I hope I will not disappoint them Is this your first time in the contest?
Yes, I was scared at the beginning but the support I got gave me confidence.
If you win, what do you hope to do for the deaf community?
I will work with anyone who wants to work with me. It is too early to start saying what I will do.

Age : 19
Why did you join the contest?
I want to show the country that there is nothing we cannot do. Some people assume because we are disabled that means we cannot take part in a national contest.
Is this your first time joining the contest Yes but I should state that it is not my last time.
If you win, what do you hope to do for the deaf community?
I cannot say it now because I do not know if I will eventually win. If I win, I can make sure that rights of deaf people are a top priority in the country.

Age: 16
Why did you join the contest?
I wanted to meet new people and make friends. In such contests you get to meet lots of friends.
Is this your first time joining the contest Yes and hoping it is not the last time. That will be determined by the results on Saturday night.
If you win, what do you hope to do for the deaf community?
I will help try to get sponsors. The sponsors will help me in doing community projects to benefit the less privileged.

Age: 19
Why did you join the contest?
I wanted to be recognised as a Swazi citizen.
Is this your first time joining the contest Yes, I’ve always wanted to but never got the opportunity. I am very happy that finally I got the opportunity.

If you win, what do you hope to do for the deaf community?
I will not only focus on the deaf community but the whole of Swaziland.
I will help the deaf community and the less privileged.

Age: 23
Why did you join the contest?
I wanted to take part in a national beauty contest If you win what do you hope to do for the deaf community I will make sure that the deaf community gets the respect they deserve.
Hoping to represent my country in an international contest.
Is this your first time joining the contest Yes and I hope I will be crowned the queen on Saturday night.

AllAfrica.com-2012/09/28
Tagged: AIDS, Governance, Health, Health, Southern Africa, Zambia BY MAYA NTANDA, 28 SEPTEMBER 2012

FIRST Lady Christine Kaseba has declared support for the integration of persons with disabilities in all health programmes and plans in Africa.

Dr Kaseba said the physically challenged people faced challenges in the process of accessing various health services due to certain barriers within their respective communities such as stigma and discrimination.

She said this in a speech read for her by Organisation of African First Ladies Association (OAFLA) and Ubutala Ubwa Bumi national coordinator Judith Mwila at the launch of a five day deaf persons Voluntary and Counseling (VCT) training workshop at Norfred House in Kitwe.

Dr Kaseba said challenges faced by the physically challenged did not only sideline them in easily accessing available health services but also sidelined them on the right to make healthy decisions on issues related to their well being including sexual reproductive health.

"As chairperson of the Forum for African First Ladies against breast and cervical cancer, I declare my unlimited commitment to lobby for and advocate the integration of persons with disabilities such as deaf persons in all health policies, plans and programmes around cancer and HIV/AIDS as a human rights issues in Zambia and Africa as a whole," she said.

Dr Kaseba said rights based, deaf friendly, gender and youth sensitive Zambia Deaf Youth and Women (ZDYW) projects in the country would be included on her agenda.

She commended Government for assenting to the Persons with Disabilities Act number 6 of 2012 which provides for health care and facilities.

The First Lady appealed to women to go for cervical cancer screening and HIV testing and for the men and boys to access circumcision services.

And ZDYW chairperson Alick Nkhoma urged all stakeholders to address the plight of disabled people and record zero new HIV/AIDS related deaths and zero discrimination by 2015.

Mr Nkhoma said the deaf people must be included in the planning and implementation of HIV/AIDS programmes in the country.

Tarkwa, Sept 28, GNA-The Tarkwa Nsueam chairman of the National Association for the Deaf, Mr. George Karah Ussher, has appealed to the government and the appropriate authorities to train more interpreters for the deaf.

He said an association with membership of about 200 in the Tarkwa Nsueam Municipality has only interpreters and this has been a major challenge to the executives of the union.

Mr. Ussher told the GNA in an interview that the deaf and other persons with disabilities could also contribute to the development of the country.

He said employers found it difficult to accept deaf people in their institutions even when they have the skills and qualify for the job and that limited employment opportunities had compelled the deaf to depend on their families.

Mr Ussher appealed to the government to give equal employment opportunities to every Ghanaian and also ensure that they train enough interpreters in all the ten regions.

Mr Moses Asaga, the Employment and Social Welfare Minister, has said that the government would support people with disability to import and re-configure vehicles to suit their situation.

They would, however, have to go through driving test at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority.

He was speaking at the launch of the silver jubilee celebration of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled at the Wadoma Hotel in Kumasi.

"25 years existence, achieving social inclusion, economic independence and equality for persons with disabilities," is the theme for the celebration.

Mr Asaga noted that those with disability had for long been sidelined to the extent that public buildings were unfriendly to them.

He warned that new public buildings that did not make provision for the physically challenged would be sanctioned.

He pledged to personally engage the Ghana Employers' Association in discussions to get them to hire more qualified disabled people in their companies and institutions.

Mr Asaga announced that about 5,000 physically challenged are to receive skills training, upon completion of which, they would be given loans to start their own businesses.

This is being done under a partnership arrangement with the rlg Communications Group.

Mr Joseph Adu Boampong, President of the Federation, appealed to the political parties to conduct their electioneering campaigns peacefully.

He said they should not do anything to disturb the peace and security of the nation.

Jongei state government laid-off a local officer who served the Sudan government since 1977. He later joined the government of the Republic of Southern Sudan after Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed and had worked as an advisor for the SPLA commanders.

BOR September 25, 2012 (Borglobe) ? a former local government officer who held a number of positions in the Sudan Government who began his work in the late 1972 was laid off in grade 7, which he held since 1977.
“I began my work in September 1972 and I got appointed in a group B and less then a year I was promoted to grade 7 and later on in 1977, I was promoted to the grade 5 and there I began to develop this problem of eye.
” The complainer who served the Sudan Government as local government administrator, Ayuen Deng Kuai said.

“It was a layoffs because of disability which is very funny but someone with disability on the playlist should be promoted according to public service circulation.” Kuai said.

Ayuen was unfortunately not promoted until he was laid off in October 2011, he said to have been promoted and laid off in grade 5 of 1976. He further questioned the press that, “is this not a discrimination?”

The local government administration paid them according to their standard grades they were laid-offs by the state government.

“I am getting my salaries at home because we complained in Juba looking for pensions and the government has no money to pay us, is this not a punishment if we talk of realities.” He questioned.

“Some colleagues who were working with me have gone to grade 3, some are in grade 1 and some juniors which I trained are in grade three now.
In my case I should be in grade three if not grade one.” He said.

Ayuen began to develop his disability in late 1970s and when SPLA started his liberation to Liberate people of South Sudan, he went to his home village.

“I developed an eye sour in late 1970s. I was just working as a judge and administrator at the same time but with the eye sour, I could still do the work until 1984 when SPLA deserted the town I went to my home village at Makuach.” He said.

He failed to Joined the Sudan people’s Liberation Movement because of the eye problem he experienced. He would had been one of the leading commanders if he was in the liberation.

“I could not go back to SPLA in which I would have been one of the leading people but because of disability of blindness I could not joined the SPLA and this made me to remain on a lane. After the agreement, the appealed people came back here and I came to Bor and my name was in the list of administrators.”

“During the SPLA struggle I remained as a divisor for those appointed administrators and local administrators, including chiefs and even advising SPLA commanders like those of Arok Thon Arok, Kuol Manyang Juuk.”

He said when the Commander Kuol Manyang ordered all bishops starting from, Natheniel Garang Anyieth and others who worked in stations belonging to Churches he went and advised the Commander Kuol about a wrong policy to take away churches in the community.

UP:2012　REV:0114, 21, 26, 0203, 07, 17, 24, 0303, 09, 21, 31, 0404, 11, 18, 27, 0504, 09, 17, 25, 0601, 07, 15, 22, 29, 0706, 13, 20, 0803, 10, 17, 24, 0901, 03, 14, 21, 28, 1005, 12, 19, 26, 1102, 09, 16, 30, 1207, 14, 21, 20120104, 16, 25, 0201, 10, 15, 22, 0302, 07, 21, 28, 0406, 16, 24, 25, 0502, 16, 26, 30, 0612, 13, 20, 27, 0704, 12, 19, 25, 0801, 08, 15, 22, 0830, 0905, 12, 26, 1003, 10, 23, 1107

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アフリカ障害者の10年 African Decade of Persons with Disablities 2012年7月～9月

アフリカ障害者の10年　African Decade of Persons with Disablities　2012年7月～9月