Two weeks after its inauguration and 4 months and 13 days after its establishment, the Foundation has granted two mini-buses to the Ethiopian Intellectual Disability National Association. On Sunday 10th Nov. 2019 the grant ceremony of the minibusses has taken place in the presence of the Addis Ababa City Administration Mayor, His Excellency Takele Uma at the premises of the Association.
The Association provides vocational training and other supports to people with intellectual disabilities. Since these trainees live in different places in the city to attend the training and get services they need the help of others, usually accompanied by their parents and other family members. This has a financial and time burden on their families and also the transportation problem of the city creates additional responsibility.
Moreover, these people with intellectual disabilities have been facing different physical and psychological attacks and abuses including rape and forced labor. As a result, the grant of the two minibusses by the Foundation has the impact of helping to alleviate the problem though it can’t solve the whole problem. To use the vehicles the Association has to cover the costs of fuel and remuneration of drivers, but since the Association has financial constraints His Excellency Abadulla Gemeda has granted to the Association 1008 books of “60 years” for covering such expenses. His Excellency Takele Uma has accepted the land request by the Association and gives the approval to grant the land for various services of the Association.
This also has delighted the whole Association members and invited guests at the occasion. The land grant by the City Administration will enable the Association to provide better services to the intellectually disabled people. His Excellency Abadulla and his Excellency Takele have expressed their commitment to support these people and call the support of the society in preventing the stigma and lack of awareness. They also expressed their concern that many intellectually disabled people in the city have been locked behind doors and this situation must be abolished as quickly as possible.
In the ceremony, many trainees and their families have also attended and welcome warmly the Mayor, the Board Chairperson, and other guests. The Deputy President of the Association, W/ro. Mihret, the General Manager W/ro. Biritu and other members and other members of the leadership of the Association also attended and made speeches. They thanked both the City Administration and the Foundation.
