Mundri West Disability Union appeals for help

Noah Issa Philip, Mundri

The Mundri West Disability and Visually Impared Union has called on the County Commissioner for assistance. Speaking at a recent rally, the Chairman of the Disability Union appeared to the Commissioner to help construct more rooms for the Union.

'We have built our office, toilet and we are now making bricks to build another house but we do not have funds, we are like a toddler and we need someone to raise our hands so that we would be able to walk', said Chairman Mr. Alfred Amanya.

A recent event hosted by the Union of the Physically Disabled in Juba.

He further stated that they have been expecting a visit from the Commissioner prior to further development this year.

'We have been waiting and expecting you, and since you are now in Mundri West county as our humble Commissioner I'm sure there will be some changes in our office, we were by then staying here without commissioner and your presence would make greater changes in the county', Amanya said.

Mr Amanya also pointed out that the visually impaired are not included in government representation statistics like women or youth.

'We visual impaired, we do not know our percentage in the government representation, so whom do we belong? Women and youths have their representation in the government but we are yet to hear from our government about our representation', he asked.

A survey conducted in 2017, shortly before the census, detailing disability across South Sudan.

In the same rally, the Disability Union also appealed for state support for non-disabled children born to disabled parents.

'Visually impaired persons are also giving birth but they are not giving birth to a blind child. the children of impaired children are not given some special consideration interms of free education and we are asking our government to consider free eduation to our children because we do not have means to pay for our children and which sometimes forced our children to drop of out school at young age', the Chairman said.

In addition, Mr Amanya also asserted out that whilst the blind were counted and registered in the 2008 census they had since been neglected.

The Union's calls follow appeals from South Sudan's veterans for greater representation in state and county governments.