It appears that Liberia’s social welfare programs remain far-fetched in meeting the expectations of people living with disabilities who are segmented across the country seeking livelihoods for survival.
Though the data of the country’s population capturing people living with disabilities is not available to cite, both natural and artificial causes creating disabilities in Liberia continue to increase as evidenced by the presence of physically challenged people in street corners, the country’s social welfare programs seem not to be coping with the mounting demands of these less fortunate citizens.
In-country, there are couples of disabilities-related institutions established for the physically challenged welfare to be tailored. They include the Group of 77, National Commission on Disabilities, National Veterans Bureau, Christian Association of the Blind, amongst other splinter groups.
Some of these entities are captured in the National Fiscal Budget but their allotments have often been decried because they are said to be insufficient to address the plights of the population of the disability community.
The oldest but unimproved institution of these disabilities-related institutions is said to be the Group of 77. Established forty eight years ago by President William Richard Tolbert, this institution is under the office of the Vice President of Liberia with a budget line attached but whatever subsidies intended for the group seem not to impact other disadvantaged people across the country.
For FY2025, the budget allotted for the Vice President Office is captured as USD3,759, 152.00 (Three Million Seven Hundred Fifty Nine Thousand One Hundred Fifty Two United States Dollars) , while the National Commission on Disabilities has USD721, 569.00 (Seven Hundred Twenty One Thousand Five Hundred Sixty Nine United States Dollars), and the National Veterans Bureau is allotted USD454,598 (Four Hundred Fifty Four Five Hundred Ninety Eight United States Dollars).
However, whether these budget allotments include what goes directly to members of the disability community, the outburst of roaming disadvantaged citizens in the streets in Monrovia and other urban citizens in the country to supplicate for hand-outs continues to raise public outcries.
It has also been argued that the National Lottery Authority which current budget is said to be USD281,263 (Two Hundred Eighty One Thousand Two Hundred Sixty Three United States Dollars) , is a gambling institution that should lend the disadvantaged community welfare support; something critics have surmised is not the case.
In Monrovia and its immediate environs, while public and private servants are rushing to offices daily in the morning, disadvantaged people, both old and young; especially the visually- impaired are concentrated either at various locations of red light, or major intersections seeking daily bread from commuters, business tycoons and government officials.
As they reportedly lack daily meal and proper healthcare, they also face shelter constrains as well as serious sanitation problems which at times result to life-threatening ailments.
Meanwhile, public concerns on the plights of the physically challenged were last Thursday, 19th June gauged on Spoon Talk as callers- majority of whom were members of the very affected population expressed agony over the level of neglect they continue to suffer in society.
Some callers from the group claimed to be living without any assistance from any of the established disabilities-related institutions, while others lashed at politicians whom they claimed go after people living with disabilities for votes during elections but fail to seek their welfare when elected.
Apart from harsh comments from the affected segment of the population, other callers including Spoon Talks panelists and Diaspora Liberians took the Liberian Government to task over the level of treatment given to people living with disabilities in the country.
The National Legislature was also blamed for giving itself huge budget allotment and not ensuring that the country’s social welfare programs adequately benefit the disadvantaged community especially when representatives and senators are elected to make laws, provide oversight and make representation of the constituents at every level.
Having spent twelve years as Vice President and President of the Liberian Senate, a number of callers also argued that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. needs to be lead advocate for the disadvantaged community under the ‘Rescue Mission’ crusade of the Unity Party-led administration,
However, as they have observed, the regime is yet to break away from the same trend of neglect which people living with disabilities suffered in the past.