Africa-Press – Botswana. Debswana has donated assistive devices worth P400 000, to people with disabilities.
Handing over the devices to Boteti District Health Management Team in Letlhakane on Friday, Orapa Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines (OLDM) general manager Mr Mogakolodi Maoketsa said the donation would go a long way in supporting Boteti District which was faced with a shortage of assistive devices .
The shortage, he said, negatively impacted the quality of life for people with disabilities in the district.
The donation included 60 wheelchairs, 60 walker frames, 150 elbow crutches and 100 ferrule polyvinyl chloride.
He said the donation also included funding for language training for seven public officers, which was conducted in 2022.
Mr Maoketsa stated that through Debswana Building Forever Strategy, the company was committed to improving the lives of communities within its area of influence.
He indicated that one of the key pillars of the forever strategy revolved around, women, girls and People With Disabilities (PWD’s) with a focus on promotion and empowerment sign
of marginalised groups to ensure that all had equal opportunity to improved livelihoods.
The donation, he said came on the back of a number of other corporate social investment projects, which OLDM had undertaken to support PWD’s, noting that in 2021 OLDM disbursed P133 000 to support a sewing enterprise for PWD’s in Letlhakane. The funds were used for the procurement of sewing machines and fabrics.
District Health Management Team coordinator, Ms Gasebotho Kedikilwe said inclusion was important for disabled people to feel they were part of the society, noting that there was still a long way to go.
He said cited the need to install ramps in all facilities and shopping centres.
Disabled people, she said, could not walk on public roads due to reckless driving by some road users.
She also pointed out that some of the learners regarded deaf were not necessarily so, but had some clinical problem that needed to be attended to.
Ms Kedikilwe said there was need for proper assessment of children with disabilities for placement in schools.
The chairperson of PWD’s in Boteti Mr Wagamang Phampha said public buildings should be able to accommodate people with disabilities, adding that all committees in the village should have a representative of PLWD’s.
Councillor Ntebogang Kgosi said there was need to establish physio-theraphy clinic in Boteti to avoid travelling distances to access the service. Councilor Kgosi said it was also crucial to set up a centre for PLWD’s in Boteti.
In addition he requested automated wheel chairs for PLWD’s.
Kgosi Barontshi Kegapetswe of Letlhakane said the donation would give people who had been disadvantaged and hidden in the backyards a sense dignity and recognition.
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