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January 30, 2006
Down -Support the disabled, says Awori
By VPPS ( Sunday, January 29, 2006)
Vice President Moody Awori has urged Kenyans to consider the needs of
disabled persons, particularly children, as one of their major priorities,
with a view of helping them to live normal life.
Mr. Awori said it was time families discarded retrogressive beliefs,
where they hid children with disabilities under the guise of cultural
beliefs or bad omen.
Saying that such cultures were outmoded, children with disabilities could
be helped to live a normal life just like any other human being.
“Children with disabilities form an integral part of the society and
must be recognized and allowed to exploit their full potential in all
spheres ‘’, he stressed.
He was speaking this evening during the official launch of the “CURE”
International Kenya Children Trust Fund, held at a Nairobi Hotel, where
he was the chief guest.
The fund is used to assist children with disabilities. Mr.Awori disclosed
that there were over 700,000 children with disabilities in Kenya, whose
deformities did not come as a result of a curse, neither have they
committed any mistakes to be punished.
Disability in Kenya, said Mr. Awori, poses a major challenge to the
economy and has remained one of those areas that has not been given
much attention and focus.
He said most statistics do not identify people with disability, hence;
planning has largely missed them.
The Vice President said that even in terms of national budget allocation,
institutions dealing with Persons with Disabilities are often poorly
funded, making them incapable of rendering effective services to disabled people.
He announced that the government plans to conduct a national survey to
establish the number and pattern of distribution of persons with disabilities.
Mr. Awori said that the survey will also establish their demographic,
socio-economic and cultural characteristics; nature, types and causes of
disabilities, specific problems they face by gender, and the nature of
services and rehabilitation programs available for them.
The Vice President commended CURE International for its commitment and love
towards the children with disability.
He noted that since inception of CURE International in 1998, over 31,000
children have benefited from services of the organization.
A Director with Kijabe CURE International children’s hospital, Kijabe,
Dr. Tim Mead, said that the institution changes the sick children’s
lives through emotional, spiritual and physical treatment.
He said that some of the surgeries the hospital carried out included,
spinal and congenital deformities, crooked arms and feet.
The launch was also attended by Africa Inland Church Bishop Rev. Silas
Yego, CURE International , Executive Director in Kenya, Sam Baguma, Senior
Vice President of CURE International, Craig Hammon, Kijabe Mission Hospital
Chief Executive officer Andy Mayo, among others.
Posted by jicafriends at January 30, 2006 04:35 PM