TQM Report,
Voice is Disability Initiative (VDI) carrying out a project in Nasarawa State, has been making conscious effort to build collaboration with government officials and other top stakeholders in order to achieve a better society for PWDs.
The group in continuation of their advocacy visits to these key stakeholders and on Tuesday 2nd December, 2021, paid an Advocacy visit to the Emirates in Lafia of over 300 years to seek the Emir buy in/ support of the VDI project funded by Disability Rights Fund (DRF) to promote rights of persons with disabilities in Nasarawa State especially rights of women and girls with disabilities.
Barr. Catherine Edeh, the Executive Director of the group in her speech shared what VDI stands for, how she become deaf and the challenges she faced as a deaf girl and how she lived beyond the challenges.
She highlighted on the challenges PWDs especially women with disabilities are facing. The challenges which ranges from poverty that was a result of lack of access to resources. It stems from the fact the PWDs are faced by several barriers, environmental barrier, attitudinal barrier and communication barrier. The latter has posed a lot of challenges to deaf persons to the extent that a lot of deaf had to resort to begging and prostitution which put their lives in danger.
She shared a story of deaf lady that her team encountered in Adamawa State and she is HIV positive because she joined a group of Deaf Women who are begging and prostitution. She met a Military Officer who gave her and forcefully had sex which her. After the harsh sexual intercourse, she couldn’t stand up so she was taken to hospital, it was discovered that she has been infected with HIV and she was also pregnant. When VDI met her, when breastfeeding her baby and she was taking a medication to manage HIV. The child may have been infected.
Speaking further, she said that it is challenges like this and many more that informed the decision of VDI to build collaboration and partnership with state and non state actors to synergize and achieve a society where PWDs rights would be respected.
She appealed with the Emir to be a mouthpiece for persons with disabilities because both the government, the officials and the International communities listen to you when you speak. Be a voice for Disability Inclusion.
The Emirates represented by Prime minister Emirate Council, Lafia, Hassan Wakili, in their response appreciated the group for their visit and said that the group have a lot to offer and the Emir would be briefed when he comes back from Abuja.
He told the group that Nasarawa State government is Disability friendly because towards the entrance of Palace, a vocational school for PWDs.
“I welcome you on behalf of the Emir and we welcome this project”.
“It is a loud and inspiring project and since you are still around, as soon as the Emir returns, we will want you to meet the Emir”
“Though you are funded, as funding is not an issue, please replicate twice what you did in Adamawa State here in Nassara State, we are here to support you all the way”
“As the project is also geared towards meeting with high ranking government officials, I hope they will cooperate with you to make the project a success and harness potentials in PWDs”.
Barr. Catherine excited by the submission of the Emirate traditional prime minister, she assured that the project is not about talking so much, according to their workplan, they wished to form a group which would be formed from the TOWNHALL meeting holding on the 3rd, it meant to cut across different stakeholders.
