New wheelchairs distributed in Uganda

From New Vision in Uganda:

The Masaka and Mengo Rotary clubs and the Wheelchair Foundation have donated 92 wheelchairs worth sh32m to disabled persons’ in Masaka district.

The Masaka club president, Steven Muwonge, handed over the wheelchairs to the beneficiaries at Masaka Sports Club on Monday. He said the club had mobilised over sh600,000 which was paid as handling fee before the chairs were delivered.

“Masaka Regional Hospital, Makondo Health Centre and Villa Maria Hospital also contributed towards the handling fee to have these chairs delivered to Masaka district,” he said.

Muwonge said this was an annual project which would see more disabled persons get free wheelchairs every year.

“The responsibility of paying the handling fee for the chairs is ours as a rotary club and the beneficiaries who are the grassroots people will receive them without paying a coin.”

Muwonge added: “Mobilising the disabled will help them fight poverty and become more respectable than the case was in the near past.”

He said the club would lobby for funds from banks, hotels and other organizations to buy more wheelchairs next year.

“We have great hope that next year we shall donate over 1,000 wheelchairs to the disabled persons with the help of cooperate organisations.”

He lashed out at people who undermine disabled persons.

“It should be a responsibility for every one to respect calls made to care for disabled persons,” Muwonge said. Masaka municipality MP JB Kawanga said the disabled had contributed a lot to the country’s development.

“Mathias Kasamba, the MP for Kakuuto, developed the disability at a mature age but he is the chairperson for the security committee. It is time to stop hiding our children inside our houses because they are disabled,” Kawanga explained.

He warned those creating associations with intentions of conning that they would be arrested.