Raising Awareness about People with Disability

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A SMU staff shares information about persons with disabilities with a community member during the awareness walk.

Stars Ministry Uganda (SMU) exists to release every child and individual with disability to their full potential so they can live independent and productive lives. SMU desires to see the needs of People with Disabilities (PWDs), including their need for God, being met by the church.

One of the strategies through which SMU achieves its mission is through raising awareness about the needs of people with disabilities. SMU conducts awareness campaigns to achieve this objective. Through awareness campaigns, SMU aims to highlight the reality of disability in its immediate community and to empower community members to take action in meeting the needs of people with disability (PWDs) that are closest to them. 

People with disability are among the categories of people that were most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the limitation of travel due to the COVID-19 Movement restrictions, SMU staff conducted awareness walks on May 28th, 2021, in the communities of Luzira, Kitintale, Kirombe, Biina, Bugolobi - areas where the Stars that SMU serves live. The purpose of the awareness walks was to educate the community about the various needs of people with disabilities, the extent of the need in the communities, the rights that people with disabilities have, and the actions that individuals can take to help people with disabilities attain their rights. The staff also shared the opportunities and resources that SMU offers.

Staff distributed fliers held one-on-one conversations with community members, and welcomed the community to work hand in hand with SMU to help build a bright future for persons with disabilities by protecting their rights. Over 300 people were reached during these awareness walks. One community member in the Kitintale market wondered that “So these persons with disabilities can also go to school and study and have a bright future like any other person?” She, therefore, promised to speak to her neighbor who had a child with a mental disability to take the child to a special needs school instead of leaving the child at home.

SMU believes that community members’ understanding about persons with disabilities was changed and the people they talked to realized that just like any other person, they too can live a normal life and have a better life. The people also learned that the rights of PWDs have to be protected just like any other person’s rights. People in the community also got to know about SMU and its services and promised to work hand in hand with SMU to help persons with disabilities within the community achieve their dreams.

Support SMU to extend her reach today by sponsoring a Star or an SMU program activity. Visit our “Get Involved” page on this site for details on how to give or get in touch. You can also give through our International Partners Faith and Learning International.

 

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