06 Dec 2020

The community of Qangwa village in Okavango has been urged to register family members with disabilities at the social and community development office in Gumare.

Speaking at the Okavango Sub-district Disability Day commemoration in Qangwa, principal community development officer, Mr Lesego Seidisa said the registration was meant for such people to have access to services provided by government.

Mr Seidisa said currently, the sub-district had 956 people with disabilities registered with the Department of Social and Community Development.

He said such numbers were low and therefore urged the public to desist from the habit of harbouring or keeping such people away from the public eye as this was a form of deprivation to access formal education and health services, among others.

Mr Seidisa also noted that it should be the responsibility of every Motswana to ensure that lives of persons with disabilities were improved.

“Communities are responsible for providing a friendly environment through disability public education and advocacy. Institutions are responsible for disability mainstreaming and opening doors to their community members with disabilities in order to promote inclusive development,” he said.

Mr Seidisa also encouraged the private sector to play a role and support organisations that led in advocacy for people living with disabilities.

Although disability is a cross -cutting issue, Mr Seidisa said it was important to note the milestone achieved by Okavango Sub-district such as health rehabilitation, noting that in the past years, council provided transport and financial support to PLWD who needed to access health services outside the district.

As for social rehabilitation, Mr Seidisa said there were 453 people receiving disability grant while some benefitted from destitute housing and poverty eradication projects.

“Currently the council has taken three people living with disabilities to Gaborone LEA leather incubator so that they can be trained and mentored on shoe production,” he said.

On the education part, the sub- district council is said to have partnered with Mwatumwaya Rehabilitation Centre and had since established adult education where 500 people had benefitted.

Mr Seidisa also noted that there were two special unit classes at Kelekele primary in Gumare and Etsha 13 primary servicing children with psychological and developmental disability. Ends