SDA donates $18k groceries to people living with disabilities

Mashudu Mambo, Sunday News Reporter
THE Seventh Day Adventist church Queens Park East branch yesterday donated groceries and toiletries worth more than $18 000 to people living with disabilities from various suburbs in Bulawayo.

The groceries consisted of rice, cooking oil, sugar, soap and sugar beans. In addition they also donated clothes. The people who benefited were drawn from Kingsdale, Northend, Queens Park East, King George VI and Parklands.

Speaking during the event, Bulawayo mayor Councillor Martin Moyo said there was need for all stakeholders to develop programmes that are in line with the capabilities of the physically and mentally challenged people.

“The State, all institutions and agencies of Government at every level must develop programmes for the welfare of persons with physical or mental disabilities especially work programmes consistent with their capabilities and acceptable to them or legal representatives.

“They must consider the specific requirements wof persons with all forms of disability as one of the priorities in developmental plans. They must foster social organisations aimed at improving the quality of life of persons with all forms of disability. The State must take appropriate measures to ensure that buildings and amenities to which the public has access are accessible to the persons with disabilities,” he said.

Clr Moyo said there was need to respect and honour the disabled, adding that communities needed to recognise that disabled also had rights and dreams.

“Under the theme we are one, we believe that all human beings were fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God, regardless of the social status and physical appearance. This includes the physically handicapped and the mentally challenged in our community. As a community we need to recognise that they also have aspirations and abilities since being physically challenged is not inability and therefor efforts must be made to integrate them in as far as their abilities can permit into all the daily activities that the able bodies are involved in without prejudice,” said Clr Moyo.