The Mayor of the Bamenda II Council, Chenwi Peter offered wheelchairs, white canes and crutches to some 10 persons living with disability.
The beneficiaries received the donations on Friday November 20 at the premises of the council and throw praises at the Mayor. The happy recipients sang songs of joy and gratitude for the gesture. “We are thanking the Mayor for making this possible. Transportation is one of our huddles and it is always a relief when authorities think about us,” Fon Samuel of the Chomba Disabled Association said.
His association that has more than 20 members had lettered their request to the mayor who responded favourable. Their needs could not be satisfied entirely by the Bamenda II Municipality. “We are begging councils and the government not to forget us. We are even more vulnerable with the ongoing crisis in the North West Region,” he stated. The Mayor has promised to do more. “Our goal is to bring everyone on board to participate in the reconstruction of our region whether living with disabilities or not” Chenwi Peter said. “This is just the phase to make sure that we start building people with disabilities to feel belonging to contribute their ideas in the society,” he added.
The ban on bikes have accentuated the problem of mobility faced by people living disabilities. In the recent past, bikes could take them from their homes in the neighbourhoods. That has changed with the restriction and forced many to trek in pain, with difficulty to a destination. The visually impaired, according to Fon Samuel face a “real challenge.”
Mayor Chenwi Peter has a passion to help persons with disabilities. In September, he offered a special package of financial scholarships and school materials to school going children living with disabilities.
Jude VIBAN
