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Govt, NGOs help needed to make disabled persons self-dependent

ISLAMABAD: As the disabled persons are important part of our society, joint efforts of the government and NGOs are required to make them self-dependent and useful citizens of the country.

This was stated by Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education Secretary Younas Khan Mandokhel, while speaking as chief guest at the first anniversary of "Soft Revolving Loan for Disabled Persons" held here on Saturday at the National Institute of Handicapped (NIH).

The function was organised by the Vocational Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons (VREDP) in collaboration with the Association of Business Professional and Agricultural Women (ABPAW).

Mandokhel said that though it was responsibility of the government to provide employment opportunities to the disabled persons but cooperation of the NGOs, donors and rich people is needed to achieve the desired results.

He said the present government is doing its best for the welfare and prosperity of special people and hoped that the NGOs would come forward to supplement government's efforts.

Mandokhel appreciated the services of both VREDP and ABPAW for the cause of making the disabled self-dependent through granting them loans on soft terms.

He also distributed soft loan cheques, ranging from Rs 3000 to Rs 5000, among three disabled persons present on the occasion from VREDP and also presented a special shield to a local NGO for its services to the cause.

Earlier, VREDP Director Miss Munawar Fatima, in her address of welcome presented the brief review of the working of VREDP.

She said the VREDP has so far helped 500 disabled persons, 40 percent of them women, to become self-dependent. They belonged to low-income areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi.

About 200 disabled persons were employed in private sector factories in and around Lahore with the cooperation of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), she added.

Speaking on the terms and conditions of granting loans through soft revolving loan for disabled persons, she said, the loan up to Rs 5,000 is granted to disabled persons only at 8 percent markup, which is recovered in easy installments.

Tehmina Malik of ABPAW said so far 300 loans have been given to disabled person and the recovery rate is 99 percent.

She said, an amount of Rs 1.6 million is involved in this scheme of revolving fund and the scheme has been very successful in making the disabled people self-dependent. APP