Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD) North Western Province Coordinator Osco Moondoma has called for more sensitisation for persons living with Disabilities (PLWD) on the usage of the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) boxes.
Mr Moondoma says following government intervention to include more PLWD on Social Protection programmes, Grievance Redress Mechanism would help resolve most of the complaints.
He added that most PLWDs were unaware of where to channel their complaints in the event that they had concerns on the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), Food Security Pack, (FSP), Keeping Girls in Schools (KGS) and Supporting Women Livelihoods (SWL).
” We want to commend the government for the GRM boxes where our people can register their concerns, at least this will give them a platform to be heard,” Mr Moondoma said.
Mr Moondoma stressed that the integrated approach where complaints and concerns about major Social Protection programmes will be made in one box was commendable and time saving.
The Coordinator has since called for more sensitisations in all accessible formats to make the usage of the GRM boxes inclusive and user friendly.
Mr Moondoma further called for targeted awareness activities specifically for PLWD saying if the sensitisation is conducted generally, most people living with disabilities risk losing out.
He lamented that most people living with disabilities such as the deaf had limited access to information and were mostly dependent on close family and friends. adding that targeting them specifically would enable them to own the programme.
Government through the Ministry of Community Development has enhanced the solving of complaints to do with Social Protection programmes through the introduction of Grievance Redress Mechanism Complaints Boxes placed in public places such as markets, Schools and Churches.
Grievance Redress Mechanism is a locally based formalised way to accept, assess, resolve community feedback complaints.
The mechanism offers an accessible point for complaints to be received and processed and timelines for communities to obtain response.
