The Disabled People’s Network (DPN) in Region Five celebrated its 4th anniversary with an awareness march from Litchfield to the nearby Seafield Village, West Coast Berbice last Sunday.
Members of the other networks in Regions Four and Six also participated in the march that ended at the DPN building at Seafield which the government recently extended.
As they marched members chanted “we need rights; equal rights,” in response to questions from chairman of the Region Five DPN, Mark Archibald.
Ganesh Singh, Public Relations Officer of the Guyana Council of Organizations for Persons with Disability, told Stabroek News that they were there to show solidarity. “Since we are the umbrella body” they wanted to be a part of the march “because it is raising awareness and sensitization of persons with disabilities,” he added.
Ian Donnelly, Business Development Advisor along with other Voluntary Services Overseas volunteers who joined the exercise said they have always been assisting all the branches of the DPN to improve their income generation.
This was done through their partnership with the Community-Based Rehabilitation Unit, which is the parent body of the DPN.
At present, Donnelly said, the Region Five DPN is having economic ventures through the making concrete blocks and concrete firesides.
The members have also been creating bed sheets, pillow cases, knitted dolls and other items that they learn to make at the Seafield building and are expected to start making mosquito nettings soon.
Meanwhile, Archibald said that they were commissioning the building on the same day. He said too that “we want to thank the government for the support in giving us the building so that persons with disability can enhance their skills and raise their self-esteem.”
He also expressed gratitude to Digicel for assisting with the cost of transporting the DPN members from the other regions and “I look forward to their continued support.”
