By Iyakale Yakubu
Jos (Nigeria) — A non governmental organisation, aimed at empowering women with disabilities through access to education, quality health care and skill acquisition have conducted a training on catering, tailoring, soap making and beads making among others, to 100 people from its target group.
The NGO, Advocacy for Women with Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI), founded in 2009 is working with six main categories of women with disability namely; women who are deaf, blind, physical disabilities, women affected by leprosy, women with HIV/AIDS and women with Obstetric Fistula (OF).
Coordinator of the NGO, Miss Esther Sunday said the training becomes imperative because, “We are not only vulnerable as women, but double disadvantaged because we are women and also disabled.”
She said the group facilitated the training through self sourcing from its cooperative to reduce the hardship faced by members calling on government, individuals and Non Governmental organisations to assist with start up grants or facilities to help grandaunts start up their businesses and provision of mobility aids.
“These women have been trained on various skills to reduce their hardship but we do not have the resources to provide start up grants and facilities for them to start up their businesses. We solicit with Government, NGOs and individuals to come to our aid.
“We also implore government to make special provision for women with disabilities in its employment opportunities and access to micro credit facilities; this will give us a sense of inclusiveness in the society,’’ she said.
The group started its operation in Plateau in 2010.
