DRAC hosts first DRF/DRAF Grantee Convening in Nigeria

by Chris Agbo

Disability Rights Advocacy Centre (DRAC) among other DRF grantees was selected to organize the First DRF/DRAF Grantees Convening in Nigeria in Abuja. It was a 3-day program held from 24-26 September, 2019 with participants drawn from Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs), grantees of DRF/ DRAF and prospective grantees of DRF and disability cluster groups heads.

Dr. Irene Patrick-Ogbogu, Executive Director of DRAC in her opening speech welcomed the participants and urged them to learn and get enough information that will assist their organizations in accessing grant from DRF. She said that every organization here was carefully selected for a reason and if an organization is not yet a grantee of DRF, the information from this workshop, could be of help to equip them to apply and get DRF grant.

Theophilus Odaudu the programme officer of DRF/DRAF in Nigeria stated that the grantees convening is important at this time because of the following;

1. To enhance the understanding of DRF/DRAF grantees and other DPOs of the DRF/DRAF grantmaking process and ideology.
2. To discuss developments and challenges arising from project implementation by grantees as well as identify effective advocacy strategies for implementation of the CRPD and SDGs.
3. To identify strategies to increase the diversity of the disability movement in Nigeria and ensure that the voices of marginalized groups are amplified in the movement.
4. To discuss the newly enacted Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act and how grantees and other DPOs can be involved in monitoring implementation at all levels.
5. To identify possible areas of collaboration among grantees to build a cohesive movement and avoid duplication.
6. To discuss the development of a country strategy for Nigeria by identifying priority areas in the implementation of the CRPD and SDGs.
7. To develop a list of practical actions and resources available to participants in all areas discussed during the Grantee Convening.

The event was characterized with information sharing, Panel discussion, Grantee led group work and exercise and Technical sessions with Presentations by subject matter experts.

Theophilus Odaudu for the benefit of the prospective grantees, took the participants through what DRF is all about and what DRF/DRAF can fund and what they cannot fund.  This afforded prospective grantees to understand DRF/DRAF system which will help them in their applications.

The Grantees shared their progress report through an exercise from where they were before the DRF grant and where they are with DRF/DRAF grants, their challenges and opportunities were also shared in a drawing graphic form which was displayed on the walls for DPOs to see and learn from each other.

Melanie Kawano-Chiu of DRF/DRAF took the participants through DRF/DRAF strategy, Logframe and theory of change.

The likes of Jake Epelle(The Albino Foundation(TAF), Shakira Bashiru(She Writes Women), Ibrahim Ajayi(representing The deaf-Blind) and Ndifreke Andrew Essien( FAECARE Foundation were discussants in a panel discussion on building an inclusive movement. It was moderated by Mrs Grace Foluke Idowu (ILP). These representatives of marginalized group shared their experiences and proffer ways that they can be properly mainstreamed into the disability rights movement in Nigeria.

The participants were taken through how to document their success stories by Noel Balogun (DRAC) and the Executive Director of CCD, David Anyaele x-rayed the Discrimination against persons with disabilities (Prohibition) Act for the participants and the participants embarked on an exercise to proffer strategies on how to effectively push for implementation.

The participants were also taken through how CRPD relates with SDGs and how DPOs can apply them in designing their programmes.

The Executive Director, Inclusive Friends Association (IFA) Grace Jerry shared the advocacy strategies her association adopted for advancement of disability rights in Nigeria. Participants learnt additional advocacy skills that will help them to carry out their activities more effective.

The participants at the event were DRF/DRAF Granteees such as Nigeria Association of the Blind FCT(NAB-FCT), ILP, Inclusive Friends Association(IFA), Halt Hope Foundation, DRAC, Centre For Citizens With Disabilities(CCD), Nigeria Association of Persons with Intellectual Disability, Association of Lawyers with Disabilities in Nigeria, Development Partners such OSIWA and CBM, DPOs such as Nigeria Association of the Blind(NAB), SCIAN, IDEA, Deaf Blind Association, Quality Life for people with special needs, She Writes Woman, FACIP, JONAPWD, National Association of Persons with physical disabilities(NAPWPD), NNA, DIP, DRC, The Albino Foundation(TAF), AWWDI, and FAECARE Foundation

A representative of OSIWA, Bright Ekweremmadu of Christofel Blind Mission (CBM) and James Lalu from Plateau state Disability Board gave their goodwill messages at the beginning of the event.

The event going by what we saw at the gallery walk and our interaction with the participants, provided the requisite information about DRF/DRAF to the participants and they believe that it was a forum for information sharing and networking. Some requested that DRF in collaboration with DRAC should periodically organized programmes for DPOs to come together and learn new strategies.

Disability Rights Fund (DRF) was established in 2008 to support persons with disabilities around the world to build diverse movement, ensure inclusive development agendas and achieve equal rights and opportunity for all. And its sister fund, the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund (DRAF) supports persons with disabilities in the developing world to advance legal frameworks to realize their rights. They focused on Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs) in Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean.

DRF/DRAF grants supports both marginalized and emergent groups of persons with disabilities to advance their rights as well as the ongoing efforts of national, state, provincial, regional and districts level DPOs to advance CRPD implementation.

Their donors are The Ansara Family Fund of the Boston Foundation, the Ford Foundation, The Estelle Friedman Gervis Family Foundation, The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, the Foundation to promote Open Society, part of the Open Society Foundation, and UKAID from the U.K government(DFID and Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

DRF/DRAF awarded their first grants in Nigeria in 2018 and another set of grants in 2019. For both years, they have awarded a combined total of $304, 800 in 13grants to 9 DPOs in Nigeria.

DPOs in Nigeria have used the funds towards a range of issues which converge around core themes such as building DPO advocacy capacity on CRPD and legislative advocacy, supporting DPO-led advocacy efforts, resulting in the passage of a national disability rights law in Nigeria and CRPD awareness raising among PWDs in subnational and rural communities, DPOs in Nigeria have most commonly used DRF/DRAF funding to implement programs focused on CRPD Article 13(Access to Justice), Article 24( Inclusive Education) and Article 25(Health), Article 4(General Obligations), Article 9( Accessibility) and Article 29( Political Participation).

HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF THE EVENT: