CHITRAL, July 12: Human Resource Development Society and Sighsavers have begun a project in Chitral district to ensure easy access of the persons with disabilities (PWDs) to water and sanitation facilities.
Representatives of the two nongovernmental organisations told reporters here that besides raising public awareness of the need for helping PWDs, the project would also help PWDs access drinking water and sanitation services without trouble.
According to them, the project will last two years, while special arrangements will be made to ensure its sustainability thereafter by forming special organisations for disabled persons at union council and district levels.
Representatives of the two NGOs said these special organisations would consist of PWDs and provide special persons with a forum for discussing problems and finding their solution.
They said the project would bring about changes in the attitude of normal people towards PWDs, who had hitherto been consigned to oblivion or ignored in the society.
They added that the project also had a component to fight trachoma in the district, which had the highest number of the sufferers of the disease in the province.
Khawaja Nizamuddin, an assistant professor in the government college, shared with participants the story of his success fight against physical disability.
DCO Rahmatullah Wazir, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said Islam had bound its followers to treat PWDs kindly. He said Islamic history had numerous instances about extraordinary treatment being meted out to disabled people by rulers. “Such instances have no parallel,” he said. Mr Wazir said the district government would help the two NGOs successfully manage the project to the benefit of PWDs.–Dawn]]>
