Friday,June 25 ,2011

Persons with disabilities during the launc of the disability fund launch in Kakamega.

Ten people living with disability from every constituency in the whole nation will benefit from Sh1, 500 at the end of this month thanks to the national launch of cash transfer program to persons with severe disability held in Kakamega’s famous Muliro Garden.

This will be in the first phase of the program as the number is expected to rise up to 50 people in each 210 constituencies in the nation by the next month.

“I am humbled to launch this noble project that seeks to mitigate the challenges that’s persons with disability and their care givers face on daily basis, this cash transfer will provide some form of safety net to cushion them from economic times that the country is facing,” said Gender and Children matters minister Naomi Shaaban at the Muliro Garden.

The minister said that in the 2010-/2011 financial year Sh232 million has been allocated and the amount is expected to go up by Sh667 million beginning July this year as well.

“An additional Sh 385million has been budgeted the financial year 2011/2012 that will upscale the program’s cover for 20 persons to approximately 70 persons with severe disabilities per constituency,” said the minister.

“The government has further increased the national development fund for persons with disabilities from 200 million the current financial year to Sh 250 million in the 2011/2012 financial year, this will in a long way reduce the vulnerability among persons with disabilities,” said Shaaban.

The program is one of the pilot programs targeting more than 20 household per constituency and it will be run by the government in collaboration with the national development fund of persons with disabilities under the national council of persons with disabilities.

The minister said that they will ensure the welfare of vulnerable groups including those with severe disabilities.

However, she lamented largely on several challenges emanating from social exclusion over the years.

“Persons with disabilities are identified as one target group who have a right to social protection,” said the gender minister.

The minister noted as well that her ministry will initiate the newly launched program to ensure social protection.

“It is worth to note that both orphans and vulnerable children program and the older persons program are given preference during ranking and selection of the benefiting households, through social protection programs the government therefore is confronting social exclusion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities,” remarked the minister.

She said that the program will reduce the vulnerability among groups of people living with disabilities countrywide.

He urged the development partners and other stakeholders to come on board and ensure the program is expanded.

During the event the persons living with disability were urged to come up especially in the upcoming general election and compete for positions as senators and governors.

“We should not just sit and wait to be helped we should as well take up the task and go for the positions, we are able and in a position to be senator, members of parliament, governors and other top positions in the government, come 2012 we should all of us rise up to the task and enter the battle ground,” said Vitalis Were, chairman board of Trustees of the National Development Fund for persons with disabilities.

The community has been urged not to undermine people living with disability since they are just like any other person.

“Never look down upon a disabled person because he or she can do everything in any given style, we work, we dance, we cook , we walk and that does not mean you discriminate us, we can anything you can do but in our very own style,” said Ben Makotsi, the Director Gender and Social Services, Western Region.

The event was attended by the assistant minister gender, children and social development Manyala Keya who is also the area Mp.

Also present was the secretary for gender and social development professor Collette Suda, persons living with disabilities, the public, local administration amongst other stakeholders.