Nsanje — Inadequate funding is said to be paralyzing the operations of the Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MACOHA) in Nsanje. Nsanje MACOHA Rehabilitation Technician, Fred Mazoko lamented that they are failing to provide the required services to the people with disabilities due to insufficient funding.

According to Mazoko, for instance, in the 2012/2013 financial year, the district only received K180, 000 for all its activities. "Honestly we are failing to serve people with disability accordingly due to inadequate funding. Every month I am supposed to present a budget to the authorities for the planned activities in the district.

"Most of the times the budgets are not funded. For example, in 2012/2013 financial year budget, we only got funding for three months," he recalled.

Mazoko continued to say as mandated, the monthly budget is not supposed to exceed K60, 000 however the funds that are disbursed are not in line with all the planned monthly activities which include economic empowerment.

"It is difficult to carry out activities that can transform the livelihoods of people with disabilities in the district with such meager resources. It is a challenge to our office since the district has high population of people with disability which is over 2,000," he said.

He further lamented local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the district for failing to incorporate activities that are specifically for the people with disability.

"Local NGOs could have been designing programmes meant for those people with disabilities. People with disabilities should not be sidelined, they also have to enjoy their rights as human beings," he advised.

Mazoko also urged people in authority to be including the persons with disabilities in public works activities.

"It is my plea to people responsible for public works to consider those who are physically challenged in public works activities. There are some of the people who are physically challenged but can work effectively," he said.