MITCHELL’S PLAIN
TUESDAY 8 December 2020 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | Email: post@peoplespost.co.za | Website: www.peoplespost.co.za
@ThePeoplesPost
People’s Post
Peer councillors Feroza Obaray and James Soganga. PHOTO:
SAMANTHA LEE-JACOBS
WESTERN CAPE REHABILITATION CENTRE
Spotlight on disability SAMANTHA LEE-JACOBS SAMANTHA.LEE@PEOPLESPOST.CO.ZA @SAMANTHA_LEE121
T
he Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre (WCRC) has honoured their in-house patients with a programme centred around disability rights in commemoration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The day is observed globally on 3 December, but also marks the end of disability awareness month commemorated in South Africa from November. This year, the global theme was “Not all dis-
abilities are visible”. Ashleigh Benjamin, social worker and event organiser, says WCRC has been commemorating the awareness initiatives for several years. The WCRC works with patients with severe disabilities, including spinal injuries, brain injuries and stroke patients. One of the most prominent causes of injuries that sees patients admitted are shootings and stabbings, she says. James Soganga (48), a peer counsellor from Nyanga, was shot in 1996 which resulted in his paralysis. “It was hard to understand this situation, but due to my social worker assist-
ing me all the time while I was struggling, it became easier,” he says. He became a peer counsellor after realising many people were in his same situation. He had already broken the barriers and fought through the stigma and challenges to accept his disability and wanted to help others do the same. “There are many challenges, such as going to the toilet. You need someone to help you and that is private, it takes away your dignity. It is very important for people to get to do things for themselves. I saw that I could help others to survive,” says Soganga. “I always put God first. You need to go through things to make you strong and to survive. I
went through this and it made me stronger.” Fellow peer counsellor Feroza Obaray (60) from Lentegeur says stigma and name-calling still exists in communities. Obaray was born spastic but it was only 13 years ago when every vertibrae in her spine had crumbled. “There were no warning signs. I got out of bed one day and collapsed. I was completely paralysed. I could not even speak. They did an MRI scan and saw all my vertebrae was crushed. I then had an operation in 2009 where they put screws and plates in my spine and I came to the WCRC for rehabilitation,” she says. V Continued on page 3.