Representatives of the Namibia Federation of People with Disabilities in Namibia (NFPDN) and the Northern Association of the Visually Impaired met today with the Oshana Regional Council at a full council meeting where the councilors were given a brief of the activities and expectations of the two bodies.
Also at the same meeting was Mrs Anna Kambowe, the chief occupational therapist for the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Oshana Region.
The Council Meeting, chaired by Oshana Regional Council chairperson Mr Andreas Uutoni, was attended by all the councilors of the region. Among them was Okatyali Councillor Joseph Mupetami, Okatana Councillor Edmund Ishuwa, Ondangwa Urban Councillor Leonard Negonga and others.
Chairperson of the NFPDN Ms Julian Samuel briefed the Council about the activities of the federation, and also handed over a form to all the constituency councilors for the registration of all people with disabilities so that the federation can create a database for Oshana.
“The due date for the registration is 30 November,” Samuel said.
“We also would like to ask if every constituency in Oshana has representatives of people with disabilities on the Constituency Development Committee (CDC). In most cases we the people with disabilities are left behind because we don’t have anyone in the council to represent our interests.
“This is why a lot of toilets are not accessible by people with disabilities. In the region we have many offices with stairs and steps, but we didn’t think about people with disabilities.”
Samuel also stated that some CDCs have one or two people with disabilities but the people were not appointed through the federation.
Mrs Emma Amadhila, the coordinator of the Northern Association of the Visually Impaired asked the Council whether there is any kind of assistance the Council can offer to people with disability.
Mr Pedro Nghishiwete, vice chairperson of NFPDN asked whether the Council has a budget with provision for people with disabilities.
Mrs Anna Kambowe, who was also given a chance to address the Council, gave a brief presentation on the guidelines and procedures to be followed in the process of allocating wheelchairs to community members who are in need of them.
“We should not have anybody in our region crawling in the ground, we just need to refer our people correctly,” Kambowe said, adding that the forms to request for wheelchairs are available at customer care in the hospital.
In his response the chairperson of the Council Meeting Mr Andreas Uutoni said that the Council has on many occasions assisted the people with disabilities.
“I can remember that the last time was sort of a sport activity or braai by people with disability,” Uutoni said. But he added that due to limited resources the Council could not help as much as was necessary.
He also stated that the Council has employees who have disabilities. “Our receptionist is visually impaired. But she is doing an exceptional job. So we don’t discriminate people with disabilities.”
Some councilors, such as Edmund Ishuwa, Adolf Uunona, and Lasarus Neshuku also sought some clarity on the presentations regarding people with disabilities, before Uutoni closed the meeting by saying that the Council will discuss further on the issues raised during the presentations.
In the photo: Oshana Regional Council Meeting with representatives of people with disabilities.
