It was a good site to behold on Friday 25th March, 2022 at Garki International Market, London line, Garki Abuja where women and girls with disabilities(WGWDs) displayed their wonderful products in the first Abuja Inclusionp
It is part of DRAC’s project known as Break The Cycle, support from FCDO through CBM-UK to improve the economic wellbeing of women and girls with disabilities.DRAC through the project, pioneered fifty (50) disability-led Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA), Trained 382 women with disabilities in different vocational skill trainings such as tailoring, bag and bead making, cosmetology, hair dressing, catering, shoe making, chair making, and computer education.
On the Inclusion fair, an opportunity was provided for them to showcase their products and also market them.
The Executive Director, DRAC, Dr. Irene Ojiugo Patrick Ogbogu, told TQM that the project provided opportunity for WGWDs to showcase their potentials.
“People should understand that irrespective of ones condition, the person can be whatever he or she wants to be”
She eulogized the quality of the products of the women and informed that the project provided opportunity for WGWDs to learn the skills, then DRAC provided materials for them and they were encouraged to form VSLA to help them raise money to start up their business which will transform their lives.
She also said that the barriers hindering WGWDs from being entrepreneurs are attudinal barrier, when people write off WGWDs, even when they learn skills, people don’t want to patronize them, they are stigmatized and discriminated against because of their disability and that’s one of the main reasons of the project, to change that mindset.
“People should understand that WGWDs have right to do whatever they can do to earn a living”.
“Another one is Financial barrier, WGWDs are among the poorest in our society, they don’t have opportunity for economic opportunities, but this project, we provided for them, trainings, materials to startup and through their saving loans, they have been able to get funds to set up their businesses”.
Dr Irene informed TQM that there is plan to scale up the Abuja Inclusion Fair saying that she is thankful that the Executive Secretary of National Commission for Persons With Disabilities (NCPWD) who was represented at the event by Mr. Lawrence Idemudia Director Social Integration, NCPWD promised to support the next Inclusion Fair.
“The Abuja Inclusion Fair would get better, we will continue to provide economic opportunities for these WGWDs to curb the rate of stigmatization and discrimination against them”.
The Executive Secretary, NCPWD, Mr. James Lalu who was ably represented by Mr. Lawrence Idemudia Director Social Integration NCPWD to TQM that NCPWD impressed with the level of the products produced by WGWDs, and they are also impressed by the idea behind the program which to enhance economic opportunities of WGWDs.
He said that the project is unique and it is also very impactful because WGWDs go through a lot of abuse, therefore, it is pertinent that the narrative is changed. Since it is part of the mandate of the Commission, he promised that NCPWD would partner with DRAC to organize the next Abuja Inclusion Fair.
Ekaete Umoh, Country Director, CBM Global, told TQM that she came to identify with the project because it is a project being organized by a partner of CBM and again, it is a project geared towards economic empowerment of WGWDs.
She admired the products saying that they are beautiful products and called on government agencies such Bank of Industry to come and partner with the project.
She also called on the public to identify with the trade fair and promote the entrepreneurship skills of these WGWDs and make them economically viable to curb all the discriminatory practices against them.
Offiong Ita, a Program Officer at DRAC told TQM that the whole essence of the Inclusion Trade Fair is to encourage these WGWDs to always bring out their products to the market.
“There is a wrong notion about disability, people don’t buy products being sold by persons with disabilities (PWDs) because of the notion that if I buy from them, my child will become a person with disabilities”
“This is why we brought them to market so that people can see how good their products are and identify with whatever they come across them. If you see their products and they are not there, you will not believe that the products were produced them. So the issue of Disability should not be a hindrance towards patronize WGWDs”
Speaking further, he also said that the project is for economic empowerment of WGWDs because they have been relegated not only by the public but also by their families but if they are economically empowered, they can play part in the decision making in their families.
He informed TQM that DRAC engaged the WGWDs in intensive training of the skills, their products are of high quality and the packaging were made attractive so that even if you are looking down on the person because she is a woman with disability, her product would be difficult to resist.
He called on the public to patronize WGWDs for the quality of the products and again to support the economic employment of WGWDs.
TQM reports that some of the products on display at the trade fair were laptop bags, traveling bags made of Ankara, Sandals, liquid soap, perfumes, chairs, shampoo, insecticides, air fresheners, hair wigs, yogurt, snacks, beads, ear rings, clothes made from Ankara, Bedsheets, and many others.
TQM reports that the participants came from the six Area Councils of FCT and Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
