Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Secretary of State for Social Inclusion announced this Friday that the Government will increase funding for the area of disability from 19 to 32 thousand contos in 2024, and further reinforce the actions of associations that work in this area.
Lídia Lima, who was speaking to the press this morning, after visiting the Association of Parents and Friends of Children and Young People with Special Needs (Colmeia), as part of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, marked on December 3rd, highlighted that The priority is to increase funding for social issues and projects.
According to the official, the State Budget for 2024 (OE’2024) increased the amount for this area from 19 to 32 thousand contos.
“For 2024 we foresee and will implement an increase in funding for other institutions that work in the area of disability, thus allowing us to increasingly reinforce the actions of these associations that have been working over the years and respond to the needs of this public”, he said. .
On the other hand, he recalled that in addition to providing the space where the associations operate, the Government has been granting a monthly subsidy, through the subsidy program to help, aware that the operation of these structures has not been easy.
“We are very happy because we are seeing that all the support that has been given has been very well used by the associations, which also have the mission of looking for more national and international partners”, pointed out Lídia Lima, who called on companies and institutions to collaborate.
However, he added that families with children with disabilities have had priorities ranging from support to attend daycare centers and preschool, social inclusion income support for those who do not have any type of income, but also social pension granted to people with disabilities.
“We have a set of programs to be implemented, such as the subsidy program for preschool and daycare centers, an integrated support program and the productive inclusion program that gives special attention to families with children aged 0 to 3 years. ”, he highlighted.
For her part, the president of Colmeia, Isabel Moniz, said that despite there being some progress in terms of inclusion, the association continues to face several challenges, including sustainability in responses.
He added that Cape Verde needs to have an early intervention service that must be in primary services, namely in hospitals and health centers at the level of psychologists, neuropsychologists, speech therapists and physiotherapists.
On the other hand, he argued that these specialties should also be covered by the social security system.
“Disability should be talked about with the complementarity of other areas, not only health in curative terms, but health in terms of rehabilitation and qualification so that any citizen who is disabled can benefit from these therapies, from public policies that go to meeting the functional responses of any citizen who is in this condition”, he highlighted.
To celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Ministry of Family, Inclusion and Social Development, through the General Directorate of Social Inclusion, promotes several activities in the city of Praia to provide children with moments of play and fun, but also to spend time with other children. .
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