By Jones Gadama
The Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Mary Navicha, says government is committed to supporting and caring for people with various disabilities in the country.
Navicha said this during the official opening of the Artificial Limb Provision Camp at Zomba Central Hospital.
She said the government has allocated K2 billion to the Disability Trust Fund to assist people with disabilities, especially as we observe Disability Awareness Month.
According to Navicha, as reported by the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, the allocation is a direct fulfilment of the vision of President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, who she said has made it his mission that no Malawian, including people with disabilities, should be left behind.
Speaking at the event, Navicha attributed the whole programme to President Mutharika. According to Navicha, President Mutharika is a father who cares for all his children, and under his administration, people with special challenges are being taken care of with love, dignity and respect like never before.
Navicha said, “This is the vision of our President, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika. He told us that a good government is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens. Today, we are fulfilling that vision. Today, we are telling people with disabilities that you are loved, you are valued, and you belong to Malawi.”
According to Navicha, as described by officials who attended the event, has been working tirelessly to ensure that the President’s vision reaches every district, every village and every person living with disability.
In an interview after the opening, Navicha said, “I am only a servant of the President’s vision. President Mutharika taught us to serve with a heart. When he says no one should be left behind, he means it. That is why we are here in Zomba, giving hope, giving legs, giving arms, giving life.”
Speaking earlier, Board Chairperson for Malawi Council for Disability Affairs – MACODA, Professor Allister Munthali, described the camp as important because it will help many people.
According to Professor Munthali, as reported by MACODA, the camp is a life-changing intervention, and he commended President Mutharika and Minister Navicha for putting people with disabilities at the centre of national development. Professor Munthali said, “This is what leadership looks like. Under President Mutharika, and under the hardworking Minister Navicha, people with disabilities are no longer forgotten. They are remembered, they are respected, and they are being helped to walk again.”
Hospital Director for Zomba Central Hospital, Dr Saulosi Nyirenda, said the aim of the camp is to help people who do not have legs or arms by providing them with artificial ones, and to inform the public that the hospital has started assisting such people.
According to Dr Nyirenda, as reported by Zomba Central Hospital, the response from the public has been overwhelming and emotional.
Dr Nyirenda further said the hospital had expected to assist about 200 people, but more than 500 people have come seeking assistance.
According to Dr Nyirenda, the huge turnout is proof that Malawians trust the Mutharika administration and trust Minister Navicha, because they know that this government keeps its promises to people with disabilities. Dr Nyirenda said, “We expected 200 people, but more than 500 have come. This shows the love and confidence people have in President Mutharika’s government. People know that when this government promises, it delivers.”
The camp is being conducted in partnership with government, MACODA and various organisations, and it is taking place from 9 to 21 November this year.
According to officials from MACODA, the camp will provide artificial legs and arms, physiotherapy, counselling and other support services, and it is part of a national programme to ensure that people with disabilities can walk, work, go to school and live with dignity under President Mutharika.
According to Navicha, the K2 billion Disability Trust Fund is not just money, but a message of love from President Mutharika to people with disabilities, that under his administration, disability is not inability, and that every Malawian deserves a chance to live a full and dignified life.
Navicha said, “President Mutharika is a President for all Malawians. He is a President for the rich and the poor, for the able and the disabled, for the young and the old. His heart is big, and today Zomba has seen that heart.”
As the camp continues in Zomba, many beneficiaries who attended the opening were seen smiling, crying with joy, and praising President Mutharika and Minister Navicha, according to officials at the hospital, for giving them a new chance in life.
