NGO donates Covid-19 braille handbooks in Ntcheu
Campaign for Health, Education, Sanitation and Hygiene (Cahesh) has brought a sigh of relief to visually-impaired people in Ntcheu with a donation of 120 Covid-19 braille information, education and communication (IEC) materials.
The non-governmental organisation (NGO) also donated large-print books, 60 buckets with taps, 10 cartons of soap and 200 leaflets worth K1.2 million.
Cahesh executive director MacDonald Kaluwa said they observed that the visually impaired were not accommodated in the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic messages being disseminated in communities.
“Covid-19 has affected everyone regardless of status; hence, our collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other partners such as Torch for the Blind, to package the information in braille handbooks,” he said.
Kaluwa said Malawi has a population of about 776 000 persons with visual impairment, but his organisation has targeted 10 000 to narrow the gap.
Ntcheu District Disability Forum chairperson Henderson Golombe commended Cahesh for the donation, saying it gave hope to about 300 visually impaired people in the district.
“We have 120 braille literate people. So, we appealed to government to consider us in times of disasters like these,” he said.
Ntcheu District director of health and social services Isaac Mbingwani described the intervention as timely.
