Companies initiate collaborations to skill visually impaired individuals for employment
Oct 27, 2023
We see a lot of potential in them, we support activities like this by giving them a platform, and we have an extensive programme on pillars of employability, said Nimusiima.
Best teams awarded after visually impaired people displayed skills in blind football at Ecole International French School on Saturday, (Photos By Aloysious Kasoma)
Aloysious Kasoma
Journalist @New Vision
_______________________________ One of the visually impaired team celebrating championship
Companies and visually impaired communities have adopted innovative skill development programs to transform lives for greater inclusion and self-sufficiency for visually impaired persons.
Speaking at the Blind football championship event held at the Ecole International French School on Saturday, Pearl Nimusiima, Public Affairs, and Communications Manager of Coca-Cola Beverages said that the beverage company is giving a platform to people with disabilities in their inclusion programme.
“We see a lot of potential in them, we support activities like this by giving them a platform, and we have an extensive programme on pillars of employability. We have partnered with organisations like the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU) to improve on skilling them,” she explained.
Nimusiima added, providing an avenue to nurture skills and unveil hidden talents. The match wasn’t just a display of abilities and talents, it was a glimpse into future employment opportunities.
Ecobank Uganda’s Charity Kamusiime, head of marketing said that the Ecobank group is celebrating 10 years in October by empowering disadvantaged people in digital and business skilling.
She said that they are supporting the Visually Impaired Individuals with financial support and include them in their activities.
“We have given them digital equipment worth sh8m, by playing football, it creates awareness that disability is not inability,” she said.
The founder of blind football in Uganda Muzafar Jjagwe commended the district management and corporate companies for coming on board to support him. He said that the game of blind football was adapted from futsal and in Uganda, it started in June 2021.
“This month is specific to celebrating blindness, we were recently recognized by the international blind sports association in Germany but we are struggling to raise basic equipment because they are expensive. We need government support,” he pointed.
The 5-a-side blind football tournament attracted 5 teams from Gulu, Soroti, Kabale, and Kyambogo among others.
No Comment