(03.09.09) Power for Good, an organization based in Ireland has released has given 50, 000 euros to the Zambia Persons with Disability (ZAPD) to revamp two of its 17 farms across the country.
ZAPD Acting Secretary General Charles Mwape disclosed this in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.
Dr. Mwape named the two farms as Mitukuko in Solwezi and Linda in Livingstone.
He said his organization would ensure that the funds were used to support and help revamp the two farms.
And Dr. Mwape has said ZAPD has entered into a five year partnership agreement with the Zambia Federation of Disability Organisation (ZAFOD) to help his organization revamp its farms across the country.
He noted that once the all the farms were revamped, more than 1, 000 jobs for persons with disability are expected to be created in the country.
He said creating employment for persons with disability in the country would help to remove the disabled from the streets.
Dr. Mwape has also called upon other stakeholders to come forward and assist the agency with more funds for other farms to be revamped.
He named other farms earmarked for resuscitation as Kangonda in Ndola, Mimosa in Lusaka and Kambowa in Ndola rural.
Others are Kazembe and Mushota both in Luapula, Chitonkene in Mwinilunga, Masaiti in Luanshya and Sisenge also in Luanshya, among others.
Source: www.lusakatimes.com
The Zambia Disability HIV and AIDS Human Rights
Programme says many people who were given the K1 million
by government yesterday were not the real beneficiaries.
The Organisation has predicted that the disabled will
again go back to the Ministry of Community Development
and Social Services with force to demand their terminal
benefits.
Organisation Programme Director, Elijah Ngwale said
many people who benefited from the money were beggars
from the streets of Lusaka who took advantage of the
protest to demand cash from government.
Mr Ngwale told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today
that genuine people will now be forced to go back to the
minister to demand their dues after their friends were
given by the minister yesterday.
He has meanwhile commended government for giving
people with disabilities money, but advised the state to
use a good channel in settling scores with the disabled
next time.
He said government should have used a better way of
paying the disabled rather than giving without record,
adding that this made many people to infuse
themselves.
Mr Ngwale said the people who had previously
demonstrated wanted the terminal benefits they worked for
but government instead gave the wrong people.
He has since called on government to form a task force
that would be dealing with cross-cutting issues
concerning persons with disabilities in the country.
He further suggested that the same task force should
also help to revamp the Zambia Agency for Persons with
Disability (ZAPD) and look at retirement packages for
persons with disabilities.
Mr Ngwale has further appealed to parliament to ratify
the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
which was signed in 2007 but has remained untouched since
then.
He said this will help address the many challenges
persons with disabilities are facing in the country.
Government yesterday gave K1 million each to persons
with disabilities who on Tuesday demonstrated at State
house.
Source: www.lusakatimes.com
