People with disabilities lament discrimination

 Persons with disabilities have bemoaned their exclusion from social protection programmes and development projects.

Speaking in Lilongwe on Tuesday on the sidelines of a National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) Trust Boma Lathu programme meeting, Mphatso Phiri from Kaliyeka and Emily Kaswada from Malingunde said failure to participate in development projects was denying them access to incomes.

Phiri said despite their efforts, they are consistently excluded from programmes such as the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP), Social Cash Transfer, Agriculture

Commercialisation and access to loans from the National Economic Empowerment Fund.

“Our participation in various projects that can give us income remains limited,” she said.

On her part, Kaswada recounted her experience, saying she was left out of AIP.

“When I enquired I was not on the list, they questioned my ability to grow crops. This is what has been the case,” she said.

Lilongwe City Disability Citizen Forum chairperson Gerald Nankhwende lamented lack of monitoring on inclusive policies and programmes.

“We need a minister with disability to address our needs and seriously monitor policy implementation,” he said.

Lilongwe District Disability Forum chairperson Charles Banda said the majority of people with disabilities live in rural areas, but due to hopelessness, they migrate to urban areas for alms in streets.

In response, Lilongwe Urban Nice civic education officer Hajira Ali encouraged persons with disabilities to register with the Malawi Council for Disability Affairs to facilitate their access to funds.

Nice is implementing the Boma Lathu programme with funds from the European Union