Residents of Nansana East II A slum marked a special Eid al-Fitr celebration as Fenna Tujjune joined Muslims living with disabilities (PWDs) to celebrate the end of Ramadan. The event emphasized inclusion, empowerment, and social responsibility.
Fenna Tujjune, which provided food support throughout Ramadan, brought together PWDs for the celebration, highlighting the need for dignity, accessibility, and opportunities for marginalized communities.
Speaking at the event, the organization’s Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Ramonah Olunda, expressed gratitude for the chance to support the community.
“Today is a big day. We are happy. We are celebrating with Muslims that are living with disabilities in Nansana. It’s Eid, and we are celebrating. We’ve been with them since the beginning of Ramadan to the end. God has blessed us. Allah has been with us that we were able to raise money to at least feed people,” Olunda said.
She added that future initiatives aim to expand the organization’s outreach to more communities in areas such as Katanga and Kalere. “We hope that in future we are able to raise money and do it bigger… I ask for support from the Muslim community, the government, and the Ministry of Gender,” she said.
Olunda further noted the challenges PWDs face, including limited access to schools, mosques, and affordable assistive devices such as wheelchairs.
“These people are in slums not by choice, but because this is where they are accepted. But they cannot access good schools or even mosques… A wheelchair costs a lot, and even when we want to give them for free, it’s not affordable because of taxes. We ask the government to make mobility easier and reduce costs so these people can live better lives,” she said.
She also encouraged PWDs to be confident and pursue opportunities: “Stop pitying yourself. Let’s go and claim our space. Show the world that you can do this. Disability is not inability.”
National MP-elect for PWDs, Robert Sewagudde, commended Fenna Tujjune and urged collective action to support vulnerable communities. “We are excited to celebrate Eid with our people in the slums of Nansana. We hail Fenna Tujjune for this initiative and call upon everyone to join in and support these people,” he said.
Sewagudde highlighted the barriers affecting PWDs, including stigma, limited access to education, and healthcare challenges.
“Many have dropped out of school due to lack of fees. Some parents still hide their children because of stigma. We call for a mindset change—parents should embrace their children and take them to school… Some employers think it’s expensive to employ PWDs, but that’s not true. Look at our capabilities, not our disabilities. There’s a lot we can do,” he added.
Local leaders, including the Chairperson of Nansana East II A, Faridah Namukwaya, praised Fenna Tujjune for walking the Ramadan journey with the community.
The organization continues to champion economic empowerment initiatives for PWDs, such as hotbox production by disabled mothers and the upcoming assembly of clean cookstoves by men, creating sustainable livelihoods.
The Eid celebration served not only as a religious milestone but also as a platform to reinforce inclusion, resilience, and hope for persons with disabilities in underserved communities.