Malawi Council for the Handicapped (Macoha) is currently struggling to support over 10 868 challenged people from Mzimba North and 5 543 people from Mzuzu City, this according to Hilda Zimba who is Community Rehabilitation Officer at the institution.
Speaking to Malawi Gazette recently, Zimba said the financial support they get is insufficient to cater for all these people under Macoha’s jurisdiction.
“There are many challenges Macoha encounters. One of these challenges is limited funding we get. We receive insufficient funding and to reach out to a good number of people is always a problem,” she said.
Zimba added that limited funding has made Macoha find challenges in mobility.
“Because of limited funding, mobility has also been a major challenge as we are unable to find out the challenges these people are meeting. We always meet challenges of fuel and funds among others,” she said.
Zimba however said irrespective the challenges they face, they try to work with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and encourage them that whenever they are carrying out their projects they must make sure that they include the element of supporting people with disabilities.
“They should not only wait from Macoha to identify a person with disability but they also have that duty to identify and support them. That is mainstreaming disability in their programs,” she added.
She then urged government institutions and NGOs to continue collaborating with them saying if they do not have personnel to handle issues relating to people with disability.
On her part Mzuzu Disability of Organisation Secretary, Mary Ngwira, said they train 105 people with disability in different vocational skills.
She said though they meet different financial challenges but they strive to push people with disabilities so that they are self-reliance.
“We have trained different people within Mzuzu and at the end of the training some get materials as starter packs for their work,” Ngwira said.