Unicef lends a helping hand

Tangi ShivuteAs the world prepared to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, in collaboration with the people of Japan, United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) representative Rachel Odede facilitated the handover of education supplies, food items and health protective materials to the ministry of education, arts and culture and the ministry of gender equality, poverty eradication and social welfare.The items valued at N$6 million were handed over on November 29 at an event attended by the minister of gender equality poverty eradication and social welfare, Doreen Sioka, the Japanese ambassador to Namibia, Hidaeki Harada, Deputy minister of education arts and culture Faustina Caley, executive director of ministry of education Sanet Steenkamp and school principals, learners and teachers.Odede emphasised that a disability-inclusive pandemic response and recovery should be guided by people with disabilities themselves in order to forge partnerships, tackle injustice and discrimination as well as create an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-Covid-19 world.With recent data showing improvement in the enrolment of children with disabilities, going from 30 244 in 2018 to 57 503 in 2019 according to the Education, Management Information System (EMIS), Odede took the time to congratulate the ministry of gender equality, poverty eradication and social welfare for their continuous target of children with disabilities and ensuring they benefit from the grants system.Deputy minister Caley stressed the importance of partnership and cooperation in education for the benefit of learners with special educational needs and disabilities.Caley said Namibia was still on the road to recovery from the past three years of Covid-19 and learners with special needs and those from disadvantaged communities were hit the hardest in the education system. In order to allow Covid-19 mitigation measures to reach these children, additional attention is required, she said.With the aim to increase accessibility and reform policies, Unicef will continue to support and work with the Namibian government to monitor the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Unicef lends a helping hand

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Republikein 2025-09-02

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Unicef lends a helping hand

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