Danish disabled donate to Ugandan counteparts
May 29, 2007
NINE organisations of people with disabilities have received cheques worth over sh50m for use in HIV/AIDS programs in various parts of the country.
By Herbert Ssempogo
NINE organisations of people with disabilities have received cheques worth over sh50m for use in HIV/AIDS programs in various parts of the country.
The cheques were received by Epilepsy Support Association of Uganda, Mental Health Uganda, the association of the blind and that for the deaf and Uganda National Action on physical Disabilities. Others are National Union of Women with Disabilities, Uganda Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities and Uganda Society for Disabled Children.
Their representatives received the cheques from MP William Nokrach at the offices of the National Unions of Disabled People’s Union (NUDIPU) offices in Bukoto, a city suburb.
Nokrach, also the MP for people with disabilities in Northern Uganda, said the donation provided an opportunity to fight HIV/AIDS.
He announced that the prevalence rate of the pandemic was increasing because people with disabilities are believed to be negative.
“Everybody thinks it is soft landing. They believe they are not sexually active. We could be disabled but we participate in all other activities,†he stressed.
NUDIPU’s Martin Mwesigwa explained that the money was a donation from the Danish Council of Disabled People’s Organisations. He said they had launched a pilot project that would focus on HIV/AIDS activities in Gulu, Masaka and Arua.
The project, which kicked off in January 2006 and ends in 2009, will involve training 300 peer educators from disability communities and sensitisation of 500 caretakers of disabled children.
NINE organisations of people with disabilities have received cheques worth over sh50m for use in HIV/AIDS programs in various parts of the country.
The cheques were received by Epilepsy Support Association of Uganda, Mental Health Uganda, the association of the blind and that for the deaf and Uganda National Action on physical Disabilities. Others are National Union of Women with Disabilities, Uganda Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities and Uganda Society for Disabled Children.
Their representatives received the cheques from MP William Nokrach at the offices of the National Unions of Disabled People’s Union (NUDIPU) offices in Bukoto, a city suburb.
Nokrach, also the MP for people with disabilities in Northern Uganda, said the donation provided an opportunity to fight HIV/AIDS.
He announced that the prevalence rate of the pandemic was increasing because people with disabilities are believed to be negative.
“Everybody thinks it is soft landing. They believe they are not sexually active. We could be disabled but we participate in all other activities,†he stressed.
NUDIPU’s Martin Mwesigwa explained that the money was a donation from the Danish Council of Disabled People’s Organisations. He said they had launched a pilot project that would focus on HIV/AIDS activities in Gulu, Masaka and Arua.
The project, which kicked off in January 2006 and ends in 2009, will involve training 300 peer educators from disability communities and sensitisation of 500 caretakers of disabled children.