By Prince J. Musa in Kenema
A disability organization in Kenema, Opportunity Training Centre (OTC) with support from Engineers Without Borders/Demark (EWB/DK) has conducted community outreach programmes in three chiefdoms in Kenema district, raising awareness about persons living with disability in those chiefdoms.
Geima, Dama chiefdom, Blama in the Small Bo chiefdom and Largo in the Nongowa chiefdom served as points of convergence for people from outlying villages for the sensitization initiative.
Proprietor and Director of OTC,Kenema Ekundyor Scotland said, the institution was formed after the civil war when disabled people were roaming the streets begging and him being a person with polio, together with others, decided to form an institution that will provide training opportunities for disabled persons to learn skills that will help them become self-reliant.
Scotland said they wanted to raise awareness amongst people in rural communities to encourage their disabled relations to go and learn a trade like tailoring, electronic repairs, catering, hair dressing, and adult literacy among others which are available at OTC.
He told the people that they have done a survey which shows that many people in rural communities with disability are suffering from discrimination and as an institution they want to change the mentality of people that been a disabled does not mean a person cannot contribute to the development of their family and community.
Human Rights Activist,Christopher Morie Brima said UN member countries have signed several convections guaranteeing the rights of everybody as long that person has life and that the government of Sierra Leone had also domesticated some of those laws in accordance with the international laws which means persons with disability should not be discriminated against in the society.
He stated that, for quite sometimes families, communities do stigmatise people with disability which he said is the greatest human right violation, adding that, disabled women and children are mostly abused sexually and are often left out in any development initiatives at both family and community levels. He entreated people to change that mindset.
Small Bo Chiefdom Speaker, Ishmeal Munda Koroma, commended the management of OTC for the initiative and said they have offered an acre of land to the disabled people and called on humanitarian organizations and government to construct a centre for them, adding that Blama is centrally located and such a facility will support people in outlying villages.
He also stated that through the effort of the Paramount Chief, the visually impaired have been given a swamp for rice farming and that chiefdom authorities have paid people to do the work for them, and promised that they will continue such an assistance.
The Women’s Leader of Geima, Dama, Hawa Sei, referred to the engagement as very important saying it would further strengthen community awareness against stigmatisation of disabled persons. She appealed to the organizers to extend the outreach activities to other parts of the district so that people will be thoroughly educated.
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