Social stereotypes and a less inclusive society have dragged over 99% of people living with disability (PWD) in rural areas into a new social class of the poorer in Uganda. Worsened by the effects of the over-year economic shutdown as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the gap between the poor and the poor has significantly widened, with people with disability and the elderly falling into the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unfortunately, the government did not have any post-COVID economic and social recovery programs or incentives designed to directly benefit this vulnerable class, and almost a year after the full reopening of the economy, PWD and the elderly are drowning in hunger and are not only victims of poor social services but PWD and elderly unfriendly services like accessibility to public buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Community Focus International (CFI) last week launched a massive charity act of distribution of old clothes and basic needs to PWD and the elderly starting in Otwal and Aleka sub-counties of Oyam district, items they have been collecting through a charity campaign dubbed \u201cThe Mercy Coalition Project\u201d a project in partnership with Radio, Q FM, a lira based local radio station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This project is intended to provide this class of people with basic needs and clothes to prepare them for more programs that will be directed at fighting poverty and mitigating the effects of the pandemic among the PWD and the elderly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The well-attended event also involved other CFI activities like the identification of beneficiaries for the wheelchair project, where PWDs are provided with free wheelchairs, beneficiaries for the eyeglasses project, and scholastic materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n