The Bishop of Namirembe Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Moses Banja, has urged parents to embrace and bless children with disabilities instead of hiding or abandoning them, saying every child has a purpose in God's plan.
Bishop Banja made the remarks during a Holy Communion service and confirmation ceremony for eight students at Kampala School for the Physically Handicapped in Balintuma, Mengo.
He expressed concern over parents who choose to hide their children after discovering that they have disabilities, urging families to accept, love and support them.
“Parents should embrace and bless all their children, including those born with disabilities, instead of hiding them or abandoning them. God has a plan for every child, regardless of their physical condition.”
The bishop also appealed to the government to increase support for institutions that care for children with disabilities, noting that such facilities require adequate resources to meet the learners' special needs.
“The government should support institutions that care for children with disabilities because these children have special needs that require adequate resources and attention.”
Meanwhile, the founder of Kampala School for the Physically Handicapped, Joy Mwesigwa, said one of the biggest challenges facing the school is the failure by some parents to adequately provide for their children with disabilities.
She explained that the materials and other necessities required to support the learners are expensive, making it difficult for the institution to meet all their needs without additional assistance.
“One of the biggest challenges we face is that some parents do not adequately provide for the needs of their children with disabilities, yet the materials and resources required to support these children are very expensive.”
Mwesigwa also called on parents and the government to consider children with disabilities when planning and allocating financial resources, saying their needs should be included in family and national budgets.
“Parents and the government should consider children with disabilities when planning their budgets because these children also need adequate resources to support their education, welfare and development.”