Doors of Hope NGO programme directorJacqueline Shibalira [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
Men in Mavoko, Machakos County have been warned for deserting their disabled children. A report by a local NGO has revealed that many men abandon their wives if they give birth to children with disabilities.
Jacqueline Shibalira, Doors of Hope NGO programme director, blamed retrogressive culture misconceptions and myths for the inhuman act. She said that the men in question have been made to believe that the mother causes the disability. Shibalira stated that this is a punishment to innocent mothers.
“Men should stop victimising their wives for giving birth to disabled children. May be they [men] are the cause of the disability,” she said as quoted by the Star.
Speaking in Mulolongo during a cerebral palsy education drive, Shibalira narrated the hassles that such mothers go through. The NGO said that such beliefs have made many mothers poor.
“Mothers with disabled children, especially those suffering from cerebral palsy, go through difficulties. They are forced to stay at home to care for the children. They suffer from stigmatisation and rejection,” she added.