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Wakiso, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Persons with Disabilities-PWDs in Wakiso district have asked the government to increase the amount of money disbursed to them.
The Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development started giving out a special grant to organized PWD groups in the 2009/10 financial year.
The purpose of the grant was to support income-generating activities for Persons with Disabilities, to provide employment, improve the income status and enable them to become partners in the development process of the country.
The coordinator of Kaliiti Disabled Women Network, Princess Mazzi Deborah Nakayenga said that the government allocated 5 Billion Shillings to 146 districts across the country but it is inadequate.
She explained that the number of disability cases is on increase every day and that the number of people joining disability groups is increasing due to rampant accidents in the country.
Nakayenga said that they have properly utilized the special grant but it is inadequate given the disability population that is increasing every day.
Nakayenga made the remarks while demonstrating chalk making project at Wakiso district disability offices ahead of International disability day. She explained that the school chalk project is an investment out of the 5 Million Shillings given to them by the government through the ministry of gender.
On December 3, the disability movement in Uganda joins the rest of the world to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and this year’s theme is, “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.”
Nakayenga explained that following the countrywide lockdown, as a government measure to curb the spread Covid-19 pandemic, all their activities came to a standstill after the schools they were serving closed down.
She said that the failure of the Microfinance Support Center to provide them with soft loans leaves them with the option of going to Commercial banks which ask for high interest.
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