South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Jenifer James
The government has affirmed commitment towards upholding and maintaining the rights of persons living with disability.
Yesterday, South Sudan joined the rest of the world to commemorate the White Cane Day.
The Minister of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, Aya Benjemin, emphasized her government’s commitment to promoting the rights of individuals with disabilities during a graduation ceremony for visually impaired graduates.
Aya highlighted the essential role these individuals play in society and encouraged the graduates to apply the skills and knowledge they acquired during their training.
The group, 30 of them with visual impairments including 21 men and 9 women were trained on the use of the white cane.
“I want to commend you for your dedication to attending this program for the past two weeks. Use your skills effectively as you move forward,” Aya told them.
She pointed out a common misconception: many people in the country view individuals with disabilities as burdens to the community.
Aya urged the graduates to prove that there is hope for a brighter future. “Today, instead of relying on someone else, you have gained the skills to navigate the world independently. This is a significant achievement. You are now part of your community, and your contributions are invaluable,” she said.
Aya acknowledged the challenges of losing one’s sight, but urged them to trudge on with life.
“No one can truly imagine what it means to lose sight. Accepting this new reality takes courage and the support of those around you.”
The Chairperson of the South Sudan Association for the Visually Impaired, Mawut Luis, expressed pride in organizing the event.
Mawut remarked, “Empowering individuals with visual impairments is like bringing light into their lives. We believe that by doing so, we enable them to overcome life’s challenges. Our association is particularly focused on empowering children with visual impairments because we believe every child deserves a bright future, which can only be realized by illuminating their path.”
He said empowering the graduates will help them become productive citizens of South Sudan. “If we believe in their potential, we can create opportunities together.”
Micheal Majok, visually impaired and one of the graduates noted that neglect is a big issue among them.
“We are neglected by the communities around us, so this is one of the challenges that we are facing in the country, so we need to send the strong message to the community that if we lose our side, we can still contribute in the communities,” Majok said.
The graduates completed a 14-day training program focused on using white canes, supported by the Organismo di Volontariato per la Cooperazione Internazionale (OVCI) and Christian Blind Mission (CBM).