By Steve Chirombo
Chikwawa, July 4, Mana: Chikwawa Diocese Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has engaged persons with disabilities in an attempt to ensure they realize their rights to development and take duty bearers to account for their actions.
Chikwawa CCJP’s Diocesan Secretary, Lewis Msiyadungu said on Friday the engagement was an attempt of ensuring that persons with disabilities realize their roles and rights over various developmental projects taking place in their respective areas.
Msiyadungu bemoaned that there have been so many incidences where the physically challenged have been left out in most developments thereby denying their rights.
“Our main aim was to engage people who are physically challenged as marginalized group to brainstorm on issues of development and how they can participate in an inclusive manner in development activities here in Chikwawa.
“Basically, there have been so many issues that have come out during the meeting and it’s sad that people with physical challenges are being sidelined in more developmental activities for example they flagged out issues to do with sidelining leaving them in economic activities,” said Msiyadungu
The diocesan secretary added that most of the participants complained not to have been included in the Malawi Enterprise Development Fund (MEDF) loans whereas others complained about issues of disaster relief items that they are either sidelined or recorded but the items do not reach them.
He also outlined a number of issues ranging from health and agriculture’s subsidy materials which are poorly accessed by the marginalized group.
“From now, we will engage the duty bearers to start treating them as people too. Their rights need also to be protected. There is a need to start including them in most structures at local level so that their issues can be heard,” added Msiyadungu
Among others, the participants complained of lack of structures that are disability friendly, use of bad words as well as poor reception in most institutions where various services are offered.
Commenting on the development, Chikwawa District Disability Forum Chairperson, Walters Malunga, hailed CCJP for initiating such interventions saying that it will go a long way in ensuring that their rights are protected.
He said their rights to various issues ranging from business, development among others need not to be violated henceforth.
Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MACOHA), Chikwawa District Rehabilitation Officer, Elizabeth Khumbanyiwa said her office has been recording issues affecting persons with disabilities and sad enough being perpetuated by some duty bearers.
Khumbanyiwa said through the development, her office is still engaging other stakeholders to ensure that rights of persons with disabilities are protected at all cost.
“The meeting today helps more importantly our colleagues to understand their rights. This will assist increasing their voices and we are hoping for a possible change,” stated Khumbanyiwa who called for further engagements of that nature.
CCJP in Chikwawa with support from OSISA is implementing a project called promoting inclusive social accountability in management of local developments in two traditional authorities of Mulilima and Ndakwera.
