The Phakamani Care for All Disability organisation wants a shelter for people living with disabilities who are victims of abuse. Formed last year, the organisation aims to care for the needs of people living with various disabilities.
Sifiso Shongwe, the organisation’s chairperson, said they had received complaints about people with disabilities being abused by family or the eMbalenhle community since they established the organisation.
“People living with disabilities are the most vulnerable in our community. They are victims of abuse because they are neglected. Even if they try to report the abuse to the government institutions, they are not taken seriously like normal people because of a lack of support from the community.
“As an organisation, we need shelter to accommodate them and remove them from their abusers. We have a case where a disabled person was chased away from her home because of her disability grant.
“Those people supposed to protect her were the ones who abused her, forcing us to remove her. Currently, she is temporarily accommodated by one of the association’s members until we get an alternative shelter for her.
“We have even acquired the eMbalenhle small business centre to use as the temporary shelter until we have our own,” said Shongwe.
Shongwe said they intend to have a shelter with all the facilities needed by the people living with disabilities.
Shongwe said their organisation currently uses the eMbalenhle Ext 17 taxi rank for day-to-day activities.
Anyone who wants to help the organisation can call Shongwe on 076 396 6990.
