Disabled to get much-needed boost
JEMIMA BEUKES
A new disability project, ‘Strengthening integrated systems to promote access to services for persons with disabilities in Namibia’ was launched in Windhoek yesterday.
Through the project’s implementation, Namibia affirms the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) commitment to mainstream disability issues as an integral part of sustainable development.
Namibia’s 2011 Census Disability Report established that 87% of children with disabilities between the ages of zero to four years have never attended early childhood development (ECD) programmes, resulting in them losing out on this most critical stage of building a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
According to the deputy minister of disability affairs, Alexia Ncube, funding of N$6 million has been secured to implement the project which will be phased over a period of three years ending March 2022.
She added that the project will focus on strengthening data collection systems, and coordination mechanisms, as well as early identification of children with disabilities.
“Namibia has a conducive legislative and policy environment addressing the needs of vulnerable communities and persons with disabilities. However a gap remains between policy and implementation, primarily as a result of a lack of human and financial resources, information, public awareness and understanding. This in turn has led to stigma and discrimination, limited access to education, healthcare, employment opportunities and resources,” she said.
Meanwhile, the UN’s resident coordinator in Namibia, Rachel Odede, said the goals of the project can only be realised if all stakeholders come together in one single effort to meaningfully contribute to the project’s planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation phases.
According to her the project is funded by the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“We, the UN system in Namibia, remain committed to the principle of ‘leaving no one behind’ and will continue to support interventions to ensure that the voices of persons with disabilities are heard and considered,” she said.
A new disability project, ‘Strengthening integrated systems to promote access to services for persons with disabilities in Namibia’ was launched in Windhoek yesterday.
Through the project’s implementation, Namibia affirms the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) commitment to mainstream disability issues as an integral part of sustainable development.
Namibia’s 2011 Census Disability Report established that 87% of children with disabilities between the ages of zero to four years have never attended early childhood development (ECD) programmes, resulting in them losing out on this most critical stage of building a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
According to the deputy minister of disability affairs, Alexia Ncube, funding of N$6 million has been secured to implement the project which will be phased over a period of three years ending March 2022.
She added that the project will focus on strengthening data collection systems, and coordination mechanisms, as well as early identification of children with disabilities.
“Namibia has a conducive legislative and policy environment addressing the needs of vulnerable communities and persons with disabilities. However a gap remains between policy and implementation, primarily as a result of a lack of human and financial resources, information, public awareness and understanding. This in turn has led to stigma and discrimination, limited access to education, healthcare, employment opportunities and resources,” she said.
Meanwhile, the UN’s resident coordinator in Namibia, Rachel Odede, said the goals of the project can only be realised if all stakeholders come together in one single effort to meaningfully contribute to the project’s planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation phases.
According to her the project is funded by the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“We, the UN system in Namibia, remain committed to the principle of ‘leaving no one behind’ and will continue to support interventions to ensure that the voices of persons with disabilities are heard and considered,” she said.
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