Disability group in Tanzania says funds for people with disabilties going into wrong hands

Ftom Arusha Times in Tanzania:

ARUSHA, Tanzania -- The Association of The Tanzanian Disabled Society - "Chama cha Walemavu Tanzania", (CHAWATA) has called on the government to establish proper channels through which funds to the disabled, particularly the deaf, are administered The Executive Director of CHAWATA, Dickson Veange, told reporters at a meeting held at the Museum Hall that most disabled funds had gone into wrong hands.

He said the disabled people were simply told funds couldn't reach them for lack of application.

The Director said the disadvantaged people had no awareness as programs to sensitize them and under the circumstances funds meant for them were embezzled by a few unscrupulous individuals.

Giving an example, Veange said the funds were misdirected as the disabled did not know opportunities and policies for their betterment.

In further comments a delegate from the CHAWATA headquarters, Rafiki Msafiri, asked the government to increase the money earmarked for the disabled people in the country.

Msafiri said there were circumstances where a deaf person lost his basic legal rights for lack of interpreter of the sign language in the courts of law.

He therefore called for more training for sign language for them and other members of the society to ease the present communication snags that they face.