The constitution of the Holguin Branch of the Cuban Association of People with Intellectual Disabilities (ACPDI) for many years was a yearning of parents and relatives of those who have been diagnosed with this disability in the province of Holguin.
It is a dream come true this December 15, precisely in the second territory in the country in terms of incidence, with more than 18,300 identified cases.
Danae Mouso Díaz, mother of Samuel Enrique Hernández Mouso, an 11-year-old boy born with Autism, said about: “I am one of the many mothers who were longing to have an association that would represent the rights of our children with intellectual disabilities”.
And added that this is a very broad disability, hence there are many people with the same condition in the province. That is why I consider it was a debt that our country had with us, the families of people with intellectual disabilities.
Holguín, association, intellectual disability, people, intellectual disability
“We are very happy to have achieved this association. It is a day of happiness, of many mixed feelings, because we have achieved our objective and we are sure that we are going to work and achieve many good things to contribute to the insertion of our children as members of the society, with a deserved place of relatives in situation of intellectual disability”, she said.
In the assembly of constitution of the Holguin Branch of the ACPDI were present Manuel Francisco Hernandez Aguilera, governor in the territory, directors of the Labor Office, parents, relatives and people with intellectual disabilities and in a special way Mayelín Oliva Rodriguez, National president of the ACPDI.
On the occasion, the latter emphasized that on behalf of the Executive Committee and the National Board of Directors of ACPDI they are proud to create the third provincial branch of the country, precisely in the hometown of Calixto García and Fidel Castro Ruz, in addition, she stressed that in Cuba, the largest number of people with disabilities suffer from some type of intellectual disability, with more than 150 thousand people. Holguín is the second province in incidence, which represents 12 percent of that figure.
Therefore, the association is responsible for the creation and implementation of instruments and mechanisms that include the design of public policies, projects and programs aimed at guaranteeing the full exercise of the rights of this sector in society”.
As part of the program of activities, the name of the association, its acronym and logo were approved, the statutes were presented and the Board of Directors and the Provincial Executive Committee were elected, where computer engineer Liutmila Batista García was elected president of the Holguín Branch of the ACPDI.
About the challenges and the work in the stage to come Batista specified: “for Holguin it is important to be among the first affiliates of this association, it is a challenge that includes a lot of work when having to agglutinate more than 18 thousand people in the province, to which it is necessary to help, to represent and to contribute to their social inclusion.
Now next step is to constitute the municipal management groups, because the base lies in the neighborhood, and we have to reach every person with intellectual disabilities”.
Holguín, association, intellectual disability, people with intellectual disability
Also, proceeded to the signing of the rules of relations by Elena Consuegra Gomez, provincial director of Labor Office and the highest representative of the association in the territory, Liutmila Batista Garcia, which gives legitimacy to the constitution. So it is a fact the creation of this organization that brings together people with intellectual disabilities and their legal representatives or supports.
In this sense, Zoe de los Ángeles Suárez Mayo, Licentiate in Administration and Economics, Auditor of the General Comptroller’s Office of the Republic, who currently works as an auditor in the Provincial Direction of Public Health, is the mother of Samuel de Jesús Fruto Suárez, a 12 year old adolescent with autism who enjoys reading and playing cards. Zoe admits to feeling very happy, although she admits it has been a complex experience, full of many challenges.
“There were moments when I thought we were not going to make it, however Samuel was overtaking every day, it was included in the general education, but we were missing this. We lacked an association to represent us, to support us, because on our own it is a little difficult. Now that we have a group of people to support and guide us at any given moment, I think it will be easier. That is why we are very happy, very excited, tears have been in our eyes, but they have been tears of happiness”.
Although there is still a long way to go to ensure the full exercise of the rights of people with intellectual disabilities in society, the establishment of the ACPDI is a first step and a sign that we are on the right path.
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