By Nathan Eyagu 

A non governmental organization based in soroti city that aims at assisting persons living with disability in different parts of teso sub region is focusing on helping 10,000 persons living with disability in the region through the funding from PBF-Switzerland.

In her speech during the give away ceremony of heifers and wheel chairs to different beneficiaries at the office in Soroti city earlier yesterday, Hellen Elalu the project's technical advisor, the organization was born in 2016 because of the plight of the people in teso and looks at helping the most vulnerable people in the community with a vision to see a healthy and wealthy community and currently have 1,122 children directly reached by the organization to ensure that nutrition and basic needs are catered for.

"As an organization,we make sure the well fare and treatment of children that are under us is taken care of and also give social capital to the parents and care takers of the children to support the children with small business so that they get various basic needs",she noted

She further said that there are some gaps in capacity building, high expectations from the community and are coming with possible solutions like strategic plan for fundraising, putting up a rehabilitation center and setting up data of disable persons in teso as they look at helping more than 10,000 disabled persons in teso sub region in a period of five years.

The organization currently has beneficiaries in different sub counties of Serere district like Kateta, Kagwara,Kapujan and soroti district respectively and are also expanding to different districts in teso sub region.

Stephen Olebe the Soroti district councilor representing people with disabilities who also doubles as the soroti district speaker while representing the LC5 of Soroti district as the chief guest, appreciated the organization for it's kind initiative as it's one of it's kind offering various services to the disabled persons in teso sub region and appealed to the stake holders to work closely with the district so that they can widen their services in different parts so that the disabled persons will benefit.

" 99% of people living with disabilities are purely brought up by their mothers as father tend to refuse to take charge of the children not knowing that they are a blessing, I appreciate the organization for providing mobility as it assists the disabled also go to school", 

He further promised to get twenty slots for persons living with disabilities in different districts in teso as government at the industrial hub so that they can also get skilled in various courses for six months for the July - August in take.

"The only way we can pay you as disabled persons is by praying for you,disabled persons should be given first opportunity to be served as they exist for a reason as it's a situation that 90% of people will go through in life", he added.

Isaac Tumusiime the administrator at Bethesda hospital in Soroti City that partners with the organization to ensure that the children are given sufficient treatment also vowed to continue offering great services as they have well trained staff who ensure that the disabled persons are handled well.

The organization Executive director Jefferson Kandi Edimu while addressing media also said that they are detained as an organization to ensure that the disabled persons get sufficient help and through their donors PDF- Switzerland, they aim at helping more than 10,000 people living with disability in different parts of teso.

" Today we have given out wheel chairs to the disabled children and heifers and we also as an organization help the old people too who are in need of mobility with the support from our donors and call upon government offices to work closely with us and embrace such opportunities unlike with circumstances where we fail to get assistance in some offices that we reach to get information about the data base of the disabled persons", he added.

What the beneficiaries say

Apale phobe Norah who hails from Kateta in Serere district whose child has been lacking mobility for a long period of time appreciated the organization for the great support of the wheel chair and heifer that she believes has greatly changed the life of her son.

Esther Nadusia aged 17 who also got a wheel chair while talking to journalists with a smile on her face appreciated the organization for the support of the wheel chair and heifer and strongly believes that she will now be able to move to different areas.