By George Odok
A non-governmental organization (NGO) tasked community leaders to always include people with disabilities in the scheme of things.
The NGO, operating under the auspices of the Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Center, said it would give these people a sense of equality in society.
The organization’s executive director, Ms. Emem Okon, spoke at a capacity-building and training workshop on gender and social inclusion in Calabar on Friday.
She instructed council legislatures, traditional chiefs, women and young leaders to always see the persons with disability as their ongoing partners.
Okon said it’s wise to consider people with disabilities during the planning process so they don’t feel left out.
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“As leaders, when we design our community programs or prepare our community budget, under no circumstances should we leave the physically disabled behind.
“For us at Kebetkache, they are also part of the society in which we exist.
“A situation where a health center is built without taking into consideration the needs of this category of people is wrong,” she said.
Okon argued that over the past five years, the organization has trained more than 100 activists in five states of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Imo and Abuja on community budget monitoring and evaluation.
She said the training was aimed at ensuring that the money allocated for the implementation of projects in the different communities is used for the purposes for which it was intended.
Other issues addressed during the capacity building workshop by the organization include training on gender equality and inclusion, among others.