TQM report,
The Qualitative Magazine (TQM) on Saturday 20th March, 2021 in Jos, Plateau State organized a Sustainability Plan Workshop to train TQM correspondents among persons with disabilities in Plateau State.
It is part of TQM’s Connecting Our Voices To the World Project supported by Voice Nigeria. A project designed to amplify the voices of persons with disabilities in Plateau State.
The Executive Director, TQM, Mr. Agbo Christian Obiora, in his opening speech said that this sustainability Plan became so important based on the fact that there are still many persons with disabilities who are in the hinterlands that TQM has not been able to reach. Meanwhile, the challenges of persons with disabilities are continuous so there is a need to create a permanent system that will always identify and propagate the challenges in all the nooks and crannies of Plateau State.
He stated that there is need to also engage persons with disabilities who are familiar with their locality to be reporting for TQM because during the project, one of the challenges why TQM didn’t cover up to 400 stories of individuals with disabilities is because of the language and cultural barriers which brought about mistrust and lack of understanding of TQM’s intention, so it became pertinent that we use PWDs who are familiar with their people to continue the identification and promotion of the stories.
He urged the selected 17 participants to see it as an opportunity to serve their community and also to contribute their own quota towards community development. He also told them that PWDs in the hinterlands are hoping on them to bring out their stories because no media organization is making conscious effort to cover the stories of PWDs in the rural areas.
He informed them of the maximum support that the Plateau State Disability Commission have given to the exercise because they assured TQM that 17 participants will serve as disability desk officers in their respective Local government areas.
“As the project is ending this month, it is our wish to sustain and consolidate our gains in Plateau State and put in place a system that will continue to provide the link between PWDs and Service Providers” he added.
He read out some of the notable achievements that TQM have recorded in the project which range from linking some PWDs to individuals who provided mobility aids for them and other assistance like supporting their businesses, enrolling some in school and some got job as well. Most importantly, TQM have created a lot of awareness to the extent that some hotels in Jos have started modifying their buildings to provide access for persons with disabilities.
The facilitators took the participants through the concept of disability, models of disability, Concept of Advocacy, Understanding disability laws and policies, Concept of Media, Being a report, What qualifies one to be a TQM report and the use of right terminologies to report disability issues.
There was also a group work where the participants were made to write news articles and interview using scenarios which was provided by the facilitator. It was to enable them understand how to write news articles and how to frame interview questions.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of the certificates to the 17 participants certifying as TQM correspondent at the respective LGAs.
The ED, TQM promised to form a whatsapp group for TQM correspondents to continue the coaching to enable them internalize the skills of media correspondent.
The Participants assured and they expressed commitment towards carrying out their duties diligently to ensure that the project even though it is coming to end, TQM will continue to provide succour to hundreds of PWDs in Plateau State.
SOME PICTURES OF THE EVENT
