Govt told to form policy

 By ELLEN TIAMU

A MAN with disability from Buang, Morobe says he hopes the Government’s proposed policy about financial help for people with disability is confirmed sooner than later as some are desperate.

Mala Demok, from Gambia 2 village, said thousands of disabled people in the country required assistance rather urgently.

Speaking in Lae yesterday, Demok said: “Planti yia pinis na planti toktok kamap long halivim ol lapun na disabled na nogat wanpla samting i kamap na planti idai pinis (Over the years, there has been talk of assistance for the aged and disabled but nothing has happened and many have since died).”

He applauded the initiative by the Government to establish a pension scheme for the disabled, saying this would go a long way to help the disadvantaged.

“Planti taim mipla I painim had long ol liklik samting olsem bus fea na liklik halivim gavman iken givim, mipla hamamas tasol (Much of the time, we have to struggle for basics such as bus fares and whatever the government can assist with, we are happy),” the grandfather said.

Demok said given a little help, disabled people could participate in informal business, work in offices and make a living for themselves.

“Mipla no laikim ol manmeri bai sore long mipla bikos mipla olsem, insait em mipla man tu na mipla ken kamapim ol samting (We don’t want sympathy from anyone because we have a disability, we are human too and want to make things happen,” he said.