LIRA – Community Focus International (CFI), a community-based organization in Lira City has donated a total of 700 assistive devices to persons with disability to ease mobility, participation in community activities and promote inclusion of disabled persons.
The devices which include; wheelchairs, walking sticks and walking frames were given to disabled persons in Lira and Oyam districts including Lira City.
“All these are aimed at supporting persons with disability with their mobility, how to walk around, go to school, businesses and to church,” says Isaac Abor, Associate Director and Occupational Therapist.
Beside the donation, they trained the group in saving and encouraged them to form Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLA) and also supported them with piglets which is one of the ways to empower them economically.
Abor further said they have supported the category with piglets where they are able to raise them and when the pig produces, they pass it to the next person.
“As Community Focus International (CFI) after giving out these system devices, that is not the end of it, we continue to follow up to see how it is bringing changes in the lives,” he says.
He revealed that in Oyam district, since they started in 2017 they have donated 280 wheelchairs and 120 walking sticks.
“When we do all these, we also include their family members even if they are not persons with disabilities because we want them to be supported on their own,” he adds.
Persons with physical disabilities and mobility challenges face serious challenges in accessing most of the public buildings and roads due to lack of ramps, lifts, rails etc.
According to the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU), this denies them the right to movement, living independently in communities and contributes to exclusion from participation in community activities.
Abor added that they are working with a partner, Sufficiency of Scripture Ministries based in Luwero district and that they have started fabricating the device locally.
“Currently, we have started manufacturing wheelchairs for children because it is the one in high demand but it is in our plan to also start manufacturing wheelchairs for adults,” he said.
He also said, as CFI they have started an initiative to fabricate the devices locally because they have workshops and have trained technical persons able to design and manufacture wheelchairs.
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