By Taban Tom Henry
The Eastern Equatoria State government is urging the National government to allocate funds to persons living with disabilities.
This came during an event organized by the South Sudan Women with disability marking the celebration of international women’s Day.
The representative of the civil society network in Eastern Equatoria State Jimmy Kilang calls on the state government to allocate funds to support persons with disability.
He said, their persons with disabilities who cannot be able to work therefore they need to be supported financially.
“In other countries persons with disabilities are being supported, we went to many places, I went to Germany, Denmark and others, I got that people who are disabled have got protection from the government. In a month they will be given something that will help them because if you can see there are people who cannot be able to work but they want help from us.
William British Noel, the Chairperson for the union of persons with disability in Eastern Equatoria State revealed that women of persons with disabilities are undergoing difficult situations because they take responsibilities of their own children.
He appeals to the state government to offer support to persons with disabilities and include representatives for persons with disability in the parliament.
“We are taking responsibility of our children and our condition. That is why I am saying there is a lot of suffering for us but we bear. I am appealing to the government to support women with disability, from the 35% affirmative action of women and men you should give as 5% and women without disability should also give us 5%, we wanted 10% you should pity our situation, they said that let people disability be taken to parliament but we learnt that anyone who wants to go to parliament has joint a party but for us we are already a party,”
The minister for Gender, Child and Social Welfare in Eastern Equatoria State, Josephine Nabongorika urges persons with disability to cooperate with her ministry to address issues facing them.
She adds that the ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare is responsible for raising the voice and the problems faced by persons with disability to the governor.
She further tells persons with disabilities to get prepared for the upcoming elections, and elect members of persons with disability to represent them in the parliament.
“I urging all the people with disability in Eastern Equatoria State especially the women to cooperate with the ministry of Gender Child and Social welfare, you should not work out from the ministry because this is the ministry that will raise your voices to be heard, if there is any problem this will be the ministry that will present your problem in front of your governor.”
The International Women’s Day was celebrated under the theme: “inspire inclusion, promote gender equality, stop discrimination against women and girls with disability, nothing about us without us, and let us work together for inclusion.”