The local organisation that is the most vocal in fighting for the rights of people with disabilities reported a year of successful activities on a bed of grim finances and a lack of support from Makana Municipality – either practical or financial.
The local organisation that is the most vocal in fighting for the rights of people with disabilities reported a year of successful activities on a bed of grim finances and a lack of support from Makana Municipality – either practical or financial.
The local branch of the Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities, a national NGO, held their annual general meeting at the Albany Museum on Wednesday.
The small gathering included representatives from the departments of education, social development and child welfare, some people with disabilities, as well as association committee members and their supporters.
"The fact that our plans were implemented in a co-ordinated manner, regardless of our financial challenges that the organisation has faced, is indeed an indication of success," said association chairperson, Phumlani Cimi, as he presented his report. Cimi said it had not been easy to pull off their activities, but the team had worked "around the clock, making things happen".
Cimi explained in his report that the committee was a group of volunteers, most of whom had full-time jobs elsewhere. Association volunteer, Agata Runowicz, who is a remedial therapist and speech therapist with the Makana district office of the Department of Health, said the association's social worker, Francine Mukendi, was the only person there receiving a stipend – which was contributed by the social development department. Mukendi had worked without payment the whole of last year, and was then paid back in instalments. Mukendi also performs administrative duties for the association.
Little time is spent fundraising, because they have no one available to do so. According to the treasury's report there were only two financial donations: R3 000 from the Round Table last year and R100 from a local school. Their petty cash from tin collections is R200 a month and after the tax return, their bank account will be left with a little over R 8 300.
Mukendi said they had managed to sell 800 Casual Day stickers, an improvement from last year. Runowicz added that for every R10 sticker sold, the local association branch retained R4 and the balance went to the association's national council.
The committee members expressed frustration with Makana Municipality, saying it gave them no support.
"They have been changing mayors and councillors – but we are not seeing a difference in the lives of people with disabilities," said Cimi, saying that there was almost nothing in the Council's integrated development plan that would include disabled people.
"They have a Special Programme Unit, called community support services, specialising in this area – yet there are steps there to access the office, which is a physical barrier.
"I don't know if this is done to deliberately to do away with people with disabilities," Cimi said.
Mukendi said they had asked the municipality for assistance, but were told by the unit there was no funding for projects for the disabled.
Mukendi highlighted the organisation's activities throughout the year, including:
* A developmental clinic at the Joza and Middle Terrace clinics, in partnership with the rehabilitation programme at the health department;
* A support group of mothers and caregivers from the developmental clinic in the Joza clinic;
* A three-month sewing programme to train mothers with disabled children, sponsored by the National Council for People with Disabilities;
* An "adopt a child with a disability" outreach programme at Rhodes University's Psychology Department.
At the time of going to print Likhaya Ngandi, from the Makana Special Programme Unit, had not responded to Grocott's Mail's request for comment on the association's criticism of the unit's alleged lack of engagement with disabled people's needs.
