CAHESH donates COVID-19 braille materials to the visually impaired in Ntcheu
Campaign for Health, Education, Sanitation and Hygiene (CAHESH) brought a sigh of relief to the visually impaired people in Ntcheu District on Friday when the organisation donated to them COVID-19 Braille Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials and other items.
The donation included 120 braille and large print books, 60 buckets with taps, 10 cartons of soap and 200 leaflets amounting to K1.2 million.
CAHESH Executive Director, MacDonald Kaluwa said his organisation observed that the visually impaired were not accommodated during Coronavirus messages dissemination in the communities.
“We observed that people who are visually impaired are sidelined in terms of receiving information on the pandemic.
“Coronavirus has affected everyone regardless of status, hence our collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other partners such as the Torch for the Blind, to develop the information in braille,” said Kaluwa.
He, however, said with Malawi having approximately a population of about 776,000 people with visual impairment, his organisation is targeting around 10,000 people across the country to narrow the gap in message dissemination.
“What we are doing is, in fact, the spirit of inclusiveness. We would like to reach out to people with disabilities across the country with adequate information about the pandemic,” said Kaluwa.
Ntcheu District Disability Forum Chairperson, Henderson Golombe expressed gratitude for the timely donation, saying it has given hope to over 300 visually impaired people in the district.
“We have 120 people who are braille literate. With such a figure and lacking accurate information, we felt that we were going to be victims, hence our request to government to consider us in times of disasters like this,” said Golombe.
In his remarks, Director of Health and Social Services for Ntcheu District Council, Dr Isaac Mbingwani said the interventions by CAHESH will reach out to the entire district.
“We have a work plan towards the fight against the pandemic, but resources remain a challenge. It is our wish that partners will continue supporting us considering that we are a border district,” he said.
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