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WINET Makes Strong Case For People With Disabilities In Enugu State

 WINET Makes Strong Case For People With Disabilities In Enugu State… Presents Endline Report.

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WINET makes case for PWDs in Enugu (3)
Participants holding copies of the report.

Women Information Network (WINET), an Enugu based non-governmental organization (NGO, has advocted the need to develope an Enugu State Action plan for the rehabilitation and integration of persons with disabilities (PWDs) within the framework of Socio- economic development.

It said such move should be aggressively pursed with vigour by the Civil Society groups and the government.

WINET, a media focused, Women’s right, NGO, which had over the years, carried out activities to empower various categories of such persons to access justice through the Courts, said there is also need “for support for the rehabilitation and training of (PWDs) for self-reliance.

Our Correspondent reports that these were part of its recommendations as contained in an endline report of a project titled: “Human and Disability Rights Education for Women with Disabilities in Enugu State” carried out by the NGO which was made public yesterday and shared among the PWDs, media, and Civil Society groups.  

WINET makes case for PWDs in Enugu (2)

Opening remarks by Mrs. Miriam Menkiti, Executive Director of WINET during Dissemination of End Line Report

In her remark at the event, Mrs Miriam Menkiti, the Executive Director of WINET, who gave a run-down of how the project supported by African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) began and was executed, disclosed that the study was conducted among Women with Disabilities (WWDs), who are mostly urban based.

She added that the NGO, was not able to capture the numerous WWDs who are not members of the joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Enugu State Chapter, or any other PWDs body. 

Mrs. Menkiti, explained that the end line study was undertaken with a view to documenting the current level of knowledge of WWDs in Enugu State, as it concerns their rights, adding that the findings of the study indicates that the level of understanding fundamental rights, understanding the basic concept of human rights, violation of rights, and how to remedy them by the WWDs in particular and the PWDs in general in the state has improved to a reasonable extent.

She disclosed that WINET implemented the project from February 2021 to April 2022, revealing that a total of 100 (WWDs) were selected from five clusters of (JONAPWD), 

Such positive development according to her, is as a result of training organized by WINET and supported by AWDF, stressing that part of its objective was the formation of PWD Women rights forum to engage the Enugu state House of Assembly on the domestication of the Discrimination Against persons with Disabilities prohibition Act 2018.

She further noted that the study equally shows significant changes in the percentage of the (WWDs) with adequate knowledge before the training to those who have such after the training.

The Executive Director, in the thirty pages document with alot of illustrations, equally recommended for effective engagement by all relevant Stakeholders including Enugu state House of Assembly to ensure speedy domestication of the PWDS Act in the state, recalling that it was passed at the national level since 2018.

WINET makes case for PWDs in Enugu (1)

The ED speaking

Earlier in a slide presentation of the entire report, consultant to WINET on the project, Mr. Okolo- Obasi Nduka Elda, had illustrated most of the findings with pictorials, graph tables as well as reliable statistics gotten from the field.

He noted that the report has shown that the actions taken by the NGO, in the recent training has created ripple effects, pointing out that it equally shows that while knowledge of rights of WWDs, violation, and ways to seek redress have significantly increased in the urban areas, poverty among the PWDs, appears to a major challenge.

“To this effect, productive and decent work would provide PWDs with the opportunity to realize their aspirations and potentials to improve their living conditions and participate more actively in society.

WINET makes case for PWDs in Enugu (3)

Participants holding copies of the report.

Some of the PWDs participants including the women who spoke at the ceremony, expressed appreciation to the Mrs. Menkiti and her team for always leading on issues concerning them, and serving as the voice of the voiceless at all times.

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The Peruvian Government Has Officially Classified Transgender, Nonbinary And Intersex People As “Mentally ill”

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According to the country’s ministry of health, the controversial decision was made to ensure the country’s public health services could “guarantee full coverage of medical attention for mental health” for the trans community.

It also categorises “dual-role transvestitism,” “fetishistic transvestism,” and “other gender identity disorders” under the same bracket of mental illness.

The new law will change language in the Essential Health Insurance Plan (PEAS) to reflect the view of trans and intersex people as a mental health disorder.

Trans groups across Peru have loudly condemned the decision as a step backwards for the country’s already complex relationship with LGBTQ+ rights.

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Math Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With 2 Students And Getting Pregnant For One Tearfully Reveals The Baby Was Taken Away From Her

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The UK teacher who had a baby with an underage student while on trial for having sex with another teenage boy broke down in court after revealing her newborn baby girl had been “taken away” from her.

Manchester math teacher Rebecca Joynes, 30, sobbed to jurors over how her baby was taken “24 hours after being born” this past January — and now she only sees her for nine hours a week, Joynes told jurors on Monday, May 13, according to the Manchester Evening News.

“At the moment I have contact with her three times a week for three hours and that’s it,” she said through tears.

Joynes was arrested and released on bail on orders not to have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 after allegedly grooming her pupil, known as Boy A in court, by buying him a $430 Gucci belt before bringing him to her apartment for unprotected sex.

She was suspended from school and eventually fired, but soon after, she began having a relationship with a 15-year-old boy, known in court as Boy B, whom she had a baby with in January.

Joynes, who has denied having sex with either boy when they were underage, told the court that when she learned of the allegations against her she had gone to the second boy in a “panic” and he deleted all of her phone’s content.

The former teacher denied having a sexual relationship with the second boy until after he turned 16 and she was already suspended from teaching.

According to her narration,

She said he had added her on Snapchat twice, which she only accepted the second time because she thought he “wanted to tell her something.”

Joynes said a friendship developed and he quickly became her “best friend” even though the boy would make flirtatious and sexualized comments toward her when he was drunk.

She told jurors that it wasn’t until after his 16th birthday that he messaged her saying “I’ve left school now” with a winky face.

After she received notice that she had been dismissed from her job, he went to her apartment, where following an emotional conversation, they had sex.

The two then entered a relationship that Joynes described as “quite toxic” telling the court how the teenager was “very controlling.”

After discovering she was pregnant, Joynes hid love notes for the boy to find around her apartment.

The notes eventually led to a piece of baby clothing that had the words “I love my daddy to the moon and back” written on it.

The court was told that she gave birth to their baby girl in January, but following an emergency court hearing, the newborn was taken away from Joynes.

Joynes has denied two counts of sexual activity with Boy A; two counts of sexual activity with Boy B; and two counts of sexual activity with Boy B while being a person in a position of trust.

Her trial is ongoing.

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First Man To Receive Pig Kidney Transplant Has Died

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The first Man to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant has died two months after the operation.

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), which carried out the procedure in March, announced Sunday, May 12, that Richard “Rick” Slayman, 62, has died.

They said there was no indication his death was a result of the transplant.

Transplants of other organs from genetically modified pigs have failed in the past, but the operation on Mr Slayman, who was suffering with end-stage kidney disease, was hailed as a historic milestone.

In addition to kidney disease, Mr Slayman also suffered from Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

In 2018, he had a human kidney transplant, but it began to fail after five years.

Following his pig kidney transplant on March 16, his doctors confirmed he no longer needed dialysis after the new organ was said to be functioning well.

“Mr Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation,” MGH said in a statement.

Xenotransplantation is the transplanting of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another.

MGH said it was “deeply saddened” at his sudden death and offered condolences to his family.

Mr Slayman’s relatives said his story was an inspiration.

“Rick said that one of the reasons he underwent this procedure was to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive,” they said.

“Rick accomplished that goal and his hope and optimism will endure forever.

“To us, Rick was a kind-hearted man with a quick-witted sense of humour who was fiercely dedicated to his family, friends, and co-workers,” they added.

While Mr Slayman received the first pig kidney to be transplanted into a human, it is not the first pig organ to be used in a transplant procedure.

Two other patients have received pig heart transplants, but those procedures were unsuccessful as the recipients died a few weeks later.

In one case, there were signs the patient’s immune system had rejected the organ, which is a common risk in transplants.

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