Africa-Press – Tanzania. A SPECIAL Seats Member of Parliament, Stella Ikupa has called on the private sector to continue supporting people with disabilities by providing them with prosthetic limbs due to the increasing need for such services.
Ms Ikupa made the plea in Dar es Salaam during a ceremony to distribute prosthetic limbs to 28 people with disabilities, worth 20m/-, donated by the Kamal Foundation of Kamal Group of Companies.
She said the private sector is an important stakeholder in supporting government efforts to provide essential services to people with disabilities, as part of Tanzania’s commitment to international human rights treaties.
“The government has been providing various services to all types of disabled people. And this artificial limb service has been offered through the Ministry of Health and Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI). But the truth is that demand is high and the government cannot reach everyone at once. That is why I call on the private sector to follow Kamal’s example,” she said.
She noted that many people with disabilities, especially in rural areas, live in poverty and cannot afford artificial limbs, leaving them excluded from social and economic activities.
Due to this situation, she called on Kamal Group to extend support to rural areas, noting that many disabled people cannot travel to Dar es Salaam due to transport and other related costs.
Kamal Group Managing Director, Mr Sameer Santosh Gupta, said that for the past 10 years the Kamal Foundation has actively supported people with disabilities, particularly through the provision of prosthetic limbs.
He said more than 1,000 prosthetic limbs have so far been provided, helping individuals regain mobility, dignity and hope.
“Our aim is to empower people with disabilities—to bring them into the mainstream, help them earn their livelihood and enable them to live a dignified, normal life,” he said.
He added that the institution assesses the abilities of every beneficiary and, where possible, employs them. It also reaches out to other companies to create further opportunities.
He emphasised that the support helps people with disabilities build self-confidence and live productive lives rather than becoming dependent on their families.
Mr Gupta also advised the government to consider allocating specific quota spaces for people with disabilities in public commercial areas such as railway stations and government-run markets, while encouraging the private sector to employ capable disabled professionals.
“Small steps like these can bring significant change, restore confidence and offer a dignified livelihood to thousands of people with disabilities,” he said.
He added that next year the foundation intends to reach more than 1,000 people with disabilities, with plans to establish a Centre of Excellence that will offer rehabilitation, training and multidimensional support under one roof.
Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Tanzania, Ms Masha Yambi, said the provision of prosthetic limbs aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which call for services that uphold dignity and human rights.
She said that global statistics show more than 30 million people need artificial limbs, while in Tanzania the number exceeds 600,000.
“This is a large and growing figure due to various unavoidable causes. It is also important to observe safety, particularly on motorcycles, which contribute significantly to disability through accidents,” she said.
One of the beneficiaries, Shaimaa Abdul, shared her testimony, noting that after receiving her prosthetic limb from Kamal in 2018, she secured employment with Car & General Trading Co., the distributor of TVS tricycles, where she has worked for seven years as a driver.
“It has earned me great respect in the community. Before, I was dependent, but now I have a family and independence. I am very grateful to Kamal,” she said.
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