The government has spent eight million in supporting disabled people in Coast province, a government officer has said.
According to the National Funds for Disabled Persons programing manager Bernard Aduda, the government gives grants to institutions with disabled people and support individuals with equipment’s which they can use to support themselves economically.
Addressing disabled people in Malindi where he distributed some equipment’s to 18 disabled people, the officer said there are 625,000 disabled persons across the country that are being supported by the government through that initiative.
"Today we are in Malindi after touring Coast province distributing same items to different people across the region and we will continue because it is yearly exercise that why we are telling those who did not get this round next year they will get if they make a point of applying," he stated.
Self reliance
“Through National Funds for Disabled Persons (NFFDP) the government is supporting disabled people by either purchasing machines for them or funding institutions with people of disabilities,” he asserted.
Coast alone with about 12 institutions, he noted they have spent KES 1.5 million to fund them so that disabled people can get quality education and equipment’s that can help them to depend on themselves.
In Malindi they distributed sewing machines, wheel chairs, carpentry tools and welding machines among other items to disabled people.
Aduda said many of the disabled people did not attend school but have skills which when supported, they can help themselves out instead of relying on donors and families to get their basic needs.
Registration
However the officer said many disabled people have not come out to register with government in order to benefit from different initiatives.
“We are ready to help these people but many of them are still at homes they don’t want to be known and that are big challenges to us.
They have been advised to register but few have done so,” he noted.
Aduda called on locals staying with disabled people to assist them in registering with the government at Gender and Social developments offices so that they can be sponsored with tools that can assist them.
“Getting these items from us depend on what a disabled person has applied. There are those who will apply for wheel chair, sewing machines carpentry tool box and welding machines. So it depends with ones needs,” he said.
He was accompanied by Malindi DC Joshua Nkanatha and Malindi district officer Josephine Njenga.
DC Nkanatha urged those who benefited from the items from the government through NFDP initiative to make use of them.
He warned them from selling the items off and instead said they can hire them for a certain amount of money.
“We don’t want to get cases of you people selling these machines its better you hire them to people you know so that at the end of the month you are paid something,” he noted.
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.