Silveira House facilitated a one-day dialogue meeting on 26 June 2020 at Runde RDC. The dialogue brought together people with disabilities (PWDs) and government departments such as District Development Coordinator, Runde Rural District Council officials, Ministry of Social Welfare and Ministry of Youth, Sports and Recreation. It focused on the challenges affecting PWDs and the utilization of natural resources in the district.
The PWDs felt that Section 83 of the national constitution does not obligate government to assist the PWDs as it says they can only be assisted by the state when resources permit. PWDs felt that government should not hide behind the “lack of resources” mantra to avoid assisting them even when resources permit.
PWDs also expressed concern on the way they are sidelined from most of the district activities including the RDC budget consultation platforms. After fruitful engagements, the RDC conceded that issues of the PWDs have not been adequately captured in their consultative meetings and advised the PWDs district structures to submit to the Runde DC their annual development needs, from 2020 onwards, so that the RDC could consider them for budgeting purposes.
