Friday, March 29, 2024

Government concerned about continued use of children as guides for blind persons

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Southern Province Minister Dr Edify Hamukale (Right) signs the visitors’ book at the refurbished Lochnivar National Park Guest House. This was during his tour of the National Park
Southern Province Minister Dr Edify Hamukale (Right) signs the visitors’ book at the refurbished Lochnivar National Park Guest House. This was during his tour of the National Park

Government says it is concerned about the continued use of children as guides for visually impaired people, as their access to education is affected.

Southern Province Minister Edify Hamukale says it is disheartening for children to miss school as their visually impaired parents and relatives.

Dr Hamukale said this vice was detrimental to children and their right to education and would result in a new generation of street kids.

“You are disadvantaging young people by using them as guides. You may not realize it but you are robbing them of an opportunity to be in school,” he said.

He appealed to persons with disabilities not to perpetuate the vice but instead manage the situation to prevent breeding an uneducated crop of future trouble makers.

ZANIS reports that Dr Hamukale said this when he officiated at a capacity building workshop on rights for persons with disabilities, organized by the Human Rights Commission in Livingstone on Monday.

He said government took great interest in protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.

And Human Rights Commission Chief of Information, Education and Training Mweelwa Muleya said disability was part of life and a reflection of human diversity.

Mr. Muleya called for the removal of barriers that prevented persons with disabilities from fully participating in economic activities.

He said the Human Rights Commission was holding workshops countrywide for persons with disabilities (as rights holders); duty bearers and journalists to highlight the rights of persons with disabilities.

Meanwhile, government says it is against discrimination of persons with disabilities with regards to employment opportunities.

Dr Hamukale says that even with the required academic qualifications, persons with disabilities were deliberately left out by prospective employers.

Dr Hamukale stressed the need for persons with disabilities to contribute to economic activities as they possessed numerous talents and skills in various fields.

“As government we want to build an all-inclusive society so our appeal to employers is to reserve a particular percentage of available vacancies for qualified persons with disabilities.

21 COMMENTS

  1. In the US they use Dogs that are trained to guide the blind. The guide dogs are allowed in busses, at school and trains. Why can’t you do the same?

    • Dogs which are in abundance in Zambia can be trained to make excellent guide dogs for visually impaired citizens. Government must look into this sort of program.

    • Don’t support this concern at all.

      Saying that I have every confidence in the work this Governemnt assembled by the president.

      I suspect these negative thoughts are coming from UPND led affcionados.

      Disgusted with the whole lot.

      I’m a PhD holder so I know what I’m
      Talking about

      Thanks

      BB2014,2016

    • Yes, we should stop chudren like aLa Bee and Kaiser Kalambo from misleading visionless Vodiga

    • In the US dogs are respected and treated humanely. In Zambia dogs are abused and stoned at every opportunity.

    • SO, NGA NIPA ZAMBIA TABESHIBE ANSWER. THE ANSWER IS, THIS IS BIG BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FOR BREEDING GUIDE DOGS. CHILDREN MUST BE SET FREE TO GO TO SCHOOL NOT GUIDING BLIND PARENTS. DON’T MAKE CHILDREN DEPENDABLES. LET THEM REMAIN DEPENDENTS UNTIL THEY GROW UP TO SELF-SUPPORTING MATURE PEOPLE..

  2. The dogs cost a lot of money. Its a business. Most Zambians may not afford them I guess that’s why the business has never taken off

  3. These silly empty tins are good at just barking….no policy creation; when they have money the concur up utterly silly plans of empowering youth with imported Chine Buses with loans.

  4. This is tantamount to child labour. Our children should be in school or enjoying their childhood with other kids – not doing adult stuff that they’re not well equiped to handle as “guardians for disabled”

  5. These are matters that are suppose to be addressed and supervised by the NGOs. But today civil society in Zambia is about politicking and attacking the government. When NGOs came in Zambia, their activities centred around humanitarian matters, NGOs like TASINTHA, SAVE THE CHILDREN etc. Today civil society is a pseudo-political opposition that attacks governments and gives face to the conspiracy theory that NGOs are now tools of western governments that push for regime change and neo-colonialism.
    Edify Hamukale is very right about this worrying state of affairs, it hurts me see my daughter run into her class room while some kilometers later on my way to work a girl my daughters age is begging for K1 while guiding her blind father. WE MUST SUPPORT GOVERNMENT IN THIS NOBLE CAUSE.

  6. A sovereign state is responsible for the welfare of its people. Why do we always abrogate our responsibilities to funders, NGO s and the like.

  7. concerned about the continued use of children as guides. concerned!!!!!! to hell nothing can change

  8. In Zambia there are a lot of mongrels and this bread is very difficulty to condition. Anyway starting point is to start cross breeding them with smarter species, because mongrels also like putting pipe. A mongrel can migrate from one community to another just to fight for a B-I-tch on heat. Twa chabe utuma mongrels, they even eat faeces.

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