30 Jul 2014

The Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture has launched the Youth Development Fund (YDF) guidelines and forms in braille for the youth living with disabilities.

The launch was made at the ongoing Youth with Disability Pitso in Gaborone. Speaking at the launch, the acting Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Mr Vincent Seretse, said this marked another milestone in government’s drive for an inclusive society where services and programmes were accessible for all.

Services that the ministry provided for those with disability included the provision of braille services in the libraries, ICT training at the libraries for youth with disabilities, special youth empowerment scheme camps and affirmative action.

Minister Seretse said the youth with disability pitso and the launch of YDF forms in braille meant that at the end, they would achieve an ultimate goal of having all young people gain lifelong skills and experience for self-reliance.

He urged all stakeholders, especially the private sector to intervene and reverse the trends of challenges faced by the youth.  He said the pitso and the launch of YDF forms were concrete steps towards constructive engagement of all youth, including those with disabilities.

The purpose of the pitso was to interrogate government programmes in different ministries and departments and their inclusiveness of youth with disabilities.

Another objective of this pitso was to advocate and sensitise the public, private sector, NGOs and everyone affected about the needs and wants of the youth living with disabilities.

Ms Shirley Keoagile, the coordinator of Botswana Federation for Disabled (BOFOD) said she appreciated the efforts of the government as they had come a long way complaining about lack of access to programmes and services.

Ms Keoagile said through the planning of this activity, youth with disabilities had been part of this planning and organising committee. She thanked the government for showing commitment to their issues and this was evident in the establishment of disability coordination office at the Office of the President.

“Some of our youth with disabilities will showcase their talent and skills either in business, art and others and people must stop seeing us as objects of pity but as capable individuals contributing greatly to the development of the society,” she says.

For his part, Mr Hamilton Mogatusi, from office of people with disabilities at the Office of the President, stated that youth with disabilities had many opportunities to benefit from.

He encouraged them to register for the Disability Exemption Card which is used for screening people with disabilities, keeping data of number of people with disabilities, the type of disabilities and importantly facilitation to access affirmative action services. Also, he said, they should register for the fitting of prosthesis, as well as artificial limbs at Princess Marina Hospital.

Giving a testimony, a young person with disability Mr Thato Mpisi said disability was not inability and that they should stand up and knock in every office with patience so as to utilise available programmes.

Mr Mpisi is a graduate at Gaborone Technical College and is still studying at Boitakanelo College. ENDS