‘We are being sidelined’ – disabled youth

MEMBERS of the entertainment group of the Northern Association for the Visually Impaired (NAVI) are up in arms with the Ministry of Youth, National Youth Service, Sport and Culture after they were denied the chance to participate at the National Youth Expo currently on in Windhoek.

NAVI regional co-ordinator Tobias Mwaudikange told The Namibian that the group had hoped to perform at the fair. He said they were previously told by one of the organisers, a certain Jacky, that they could register to participate, but when they were preparing to leave for Windhoek on Wednesday, they were suddenly told that there were already too many music groups performing at the fair and they were no longer welcome.”I don’t think that there are youth with disabilities among those many music groups, and I think we have been discriminated against,” Mwaudikange complained.He said some organisers wanted them to go, but they were given several different reasons why they could not go.The first reason cited by Youth Regional Officer of Oshana Severus Nashipili was that they could not go because there was no place for them in the bus from Oshakati to Windhoek.”I know there was place for us, because we were there first, but our place was given to some youth groups from Omusati and Ohangwena, and then we were told that there are too many music groups at the Expo,” Mwaudikange said angrily.He said the group wanted to attend the fair to learn what other youth groups in the country were doing, and to participate in workshops to learn entrepreneurial skills.”The National Youth Council was established by an Act of Parliament to deal with issues pertaining youth development, but as far as we are concerned, it is doing very little, if anything, to include youth with disabilities,” Mwaudikange told The Namibian.”I am saying this because I am always telling the leaders of the National Youth Council to include youth with disabilities in its activities, but they don’t care.They even elected leaders without considering people with disabilities.”He added that if the NYC was not ready to accommodate them in its activities, it should tell them, so that they could ask Government to intervene, or establish another body responsible for youth with disabilities.The Namibian tried to contact the organisers of the Expo as well as Oshana Youth Council Officer Nashipili, but could not be reached by the time of going to press.He said they were previously told by one of the organisers, a certain Jacky, that they could register to participate, but when they were preparing to leave for Windhoek on Wednesday, they were suddenly told that there were already too many music groups performing at the fair and they were no longer welcome.”I don’t think that there are youth with disabilities among those many music groups, and I think we have been discriminated against,” Mwaudikange complained.He said some organisers wanted them to go, but they were given several different reasons why they could not go.The first reason cited by Youth Regional Officer of Oshana Severus Nashipili was that they could not go because there was no place for them in the bus from Oshakati to Windhoek.”I know there was place for us, because we were there first, but our place was given to some youth groups from Omusati and Ohangwena, and then we were told that there are too many music groups at the Expo,” Mwaudikange said angrily.He said the group wanted to attend the fair to learn what other youth groups in the country were doing, and to participate in workshops to learn entrepreneurial skills.”The National Youth Council was established by an Act of Parliament to deal with issues pertaining youth development, but as far as we are concerned, it is doing very little, if anything, to include youth with disabilities,” Mwaudikange told The Namibian.”I am saying this because I am always telling the leaders of the National Youth Council to include youth with disabilities in its activities, but they don’t care.They even elected leaders without considering people with disabilities.”He added that if the NYC was not ready to accommodate them in its activities, it should tell them, so that they could ask Government to intervene, or establish another body responsible for youth with disabilities.The Namibian tried to contact the organisers of the Expo as well as Oshana Youth Council Officer Nashipili, but could not be reached by the time of going to press.