Monrovia – Youth and Sports Minister D. Zeogar Wilson, says athletes with Intellectual Disabilities must be treated with respect because they are special gifts.
Report by A. Macaulay Sombai.macaulay [email protected]
The Special Olympics World Games team of Liberia is exacted to depart the country on Sunday for the upcoming 2019 Special Olympics World Game in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. After visiting the team, Minister Wilson said the government is committed to giving every athlete the needed support to represent Liberia.
The Minister of Youth and Sports offering words of motivations to the kids, paid homage to the Special Olympic Liberian team family for the quick and professional way they have put together athletes that will represent Liberia at the international scene.
He described the program put together by the officials as unique because children with intellectual disabilities are smart people and they know exactly what they are doing but all they need is love and be treated with respect.
“Let us look at the person and not his or her disability and I want us to know that the same right you have these children with disabilities have the same right. That is why they all should be cared for as human because they are smart people just like you,” Minister Wilson said.
Sport is one of the fastest ways to develop a national something the former Mighty Barrolle goalkeeper has said the current government takes very seriously.
Meanwhile, parents of the four athletes with intellectual disabilities, who will represent Liberia in the upcoming 2019 Special Olympics World Game in Dubai, have appreciated members of the Special Olympic Liberia (SOL) for the professional way they have helped to improve their children’s lives especially in the sporting arena.
Mrs. Ofume Assaf Anwunin Bukky, mother of athlete Ehi Assaf Abomdelim, speaking at farewell program for the athletes on March 1, 2019 said the impact of the training on her child’s live is overwhelming.
She said they as parents have observed fast improvement in their children’s responses at home, which proved to them that the training they are currently undergoing through the help of SOL has helped them immensely.
“We are very pleased to say thank you to the officials and coaches of the Special Olympics Liberia because they have helped our children to go and represent our beloved country Liberia in the 2019 Special Olympics World Game. We are hoping that when they return from Dubai, you will keep training them for other competitions,” Mrs. Bukky said.
Mrs. Yukhiko Amnon, Executive Director for Early Childhood Professional Network, called on other Liberians to stop hiding children with intellectual disabilities in their various communities but rather show them love, which helps to change their lives in a positive direction.
Mrs. Amnon said if others can agree to work hand in hand with an organization like SOL that has passion to help improve the lives of children with intellectual disabilities, there will be serious changes in the development of children found in such category.
“It is about time now for all of us to work hand in hand with an organization like SOL that has the passion to help improve the lives of children with intellectual disabilities because these children need all of us help. I say thanks to this organization, which has helped and supported these children to participate in the 2019 Special Olympics game.” Mrs. Amnon said.
The Program Director of SOL, Rev. Caleb Dorma, extended thanks to Minister Wilson for his Ministry’s continual support to the organization especially for the improvement of children. “I am so happy that someone like you is on board because your moral support and words of encouragement are really helping us to move these children forward. You are one of the persons who have shown up today for this program. So, we say thank you and we hope to keep working with your Ministry,” Rev. Dorma said.
