Walking From Nanyuki To Nairobi For A Mission
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| Members of the Great Hope team who are walking from Nanyuki to Nairobi while seeking funds to build a training school. |
A group of people living with special needs have
embarked on a walk from Nanyuki to Nairobi seeking to raise some funds to build
a training institution.
“Great Hope” say that their mission is to put up a facility
that will enable them acquire educate and equip them with skills necessary to
earn a decent living.
Pastor James Kamau, a member of the group and an IDP from Burnt Forest said that this project also aims to enlighten people living with
special needs of the various opportunities that are targeted to benefit them.
“The government has set aside funds for people living with
special needs, they have also set aside 30% of all tenders to go to people
living with special needs women and the youth and there is need to train our
people how to access them,” explained Kamau adding that they have been asked by
the government to form groups and they will be funded to start businesses.
Kamau said that the Kirinyaga county government has helped
them start a poultry farming project and soon they will start a factory for
packaging mineral water.
He called on parents with children living with special needs
to stop hiding them as there are many programs aimed at assisting them.
“If you have a disabled child take them to a district
hospital where they will be assed, this information will be taken to the
National Council for People living with Disability and they will be recognized
by the government and will get benefits like not paying taxes if they are in
business,” said Kamau
Pastor Joseph Mugendi from Meru County said that they want
total inclusion of the people living with disability in the church and society
at large and they we want to be given a chance to be elected as leaders and
hold other position in society just like the able bodied people.
He complained that there people living with disability
who don’t have ID cards as they cannot access the registration offices.
Mugendi said that there are brokers who have taken advantage
of this situation and they steal money from them pretending that they can help
them get the crucial documents.
Mugendi explained that the walk started on the 13th
of November at Nanyuki central park and will finish in Nairobi on the 26th
November.
“We have braved the wet weather, we lack funds to buy food
and drinks along the walk and we are sleeping in the seventh day churches along
the route as they are our sponsors,” he said.
“The motive of the walk is to build a training school for
the people living with debility in Meru County, in place called Soboiga where a
group of women who were going to visit people living with disability had an
accident where some were killed and others are now living with disability,”
explained Mugendi.
He said that the seventh day Adventist church bought a
parcel of land there which they have been given to develop and build the
training the institution.
While speaking to the group when they made a courtesy
call to his office, Thika West Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Tom Anjere said
that being raised up by a father living with disability he has a passion for
these people and will ensure that they get their rights from the government
officials.
“The government has very good programmes to cater for people
living with disability, we have various special schools and we also incorporate
them in some of the schools like Thika and Mangu high,” said Anjere.
On matters discrimination and lack of ID cards he said that
the government has taken the issue seriously and they will make the necessary
follow ups.
“No government official should discriminate against anyone
even people living with disability,” said Anjere
Anjere called on those living with special needs to use
their talents to earn a living instead of being beggars…
“You should use your
talents and acquire education so that you can compete for jobs with the other
people, the government has set aside funds and job positions for people like
you,” said Anjere.
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