Jakiri Mayor extends largesse to persons with disability

Some 33 persons with disabilities in Jakiri have received assistive devices and food items worth over FCFA 800.000 from the Mayor of Jakiri, Jaff Romanus.

Mayor Jaff Romanus and his team visited the beneficiaries on 20 October 2015 in their associations where he handed over the devices under the watchful eyes of the CBC Health Services Community Based Rehabilitation, (CBR) Supervisor, Mr. Kenchi Joseph, an assistant Physiotherapist at the Banso Baptist Hospital (BBH) and the Chief of Social Center in Jakiri Mr. Che Joseph.

The gifts comprising of six white canes, five wheel chairs, two positioning devices for children with cerebral palsy, four forearms crutches, three tricycles, five bags of rice, and five bags of salt and five carton of soup amongst others according to the mayor is aimed at improve on the quality of life of the beneficiaries so that they can contribute to developmental actions.

While handing over the devices, the Mayor appreciated persons with disabilities and their families for honoring his invitation and CBR for identifying persons with disabilities in the community and improving on their life by rehabilitating them.

The mayor called on the people of Jakiri to continue identifying children with disabilities who are not going to school and bring them to the council so that the council can send them to school.

He disclosed that the council spent over FCFA 1.5 million last year to pay the fees of children with visual and hearing impairments from his municipality in CBC Integrated schools for the Blind and Deaf in Kumbo and Blind respectively.

Mr. Jaff reiterated that his wish is that every child with disability acquires education and every preventable disability should be prevented. To match words with action, the Mayor identified a case of clubfoot during the ceremony and requested that treatment should commence immediately so that the 10-year-old child can acquire education without mobility difficulties.

In an interview with the mayor, he said the devices were distributed based on the need assessment that was done to ensure that the beneficiaries were given what they are need.

In Sop, Nkar, Vekovi, and Jakiri villages, the mayor echoed the same message while challenging the beneficiaries to use the devices judiciously.

The CBR Supervisor lauded the partnership between the Jakiri council and the CBC Health Services. Mr Kenchi Joseph called on persons with disabilities to collaborate with the council in order to ameliorate their living conditions. He promised that the CBR field worker will visit the beneficiaries and drill them on how to use the devices.

Overwhelmed with the kind gesture of the mayor, the Chief of Social Center in Jakiri called on persons with disabilities to go to social centers where they will be issued disability cards which will enable them acquire free education in government schools. He commended the efforts of the Mayor in improving on the quality of life of persons with disabilities.