Participants pose for a family picture brandishing donated material
By Njodzeka Danhatu
Some three Buea-based non-governmental organizations have trained youths with disabilities in income-generating activities.
Under the umbrella of Reformers 2024, these organizations: Foundation for the Inclusion and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (FIEPWD), Association for Promoting Health and Global Wellness for the Community and Sustainable Development, and Hopeful Home For All (HOFA) drilled the persons with disabilities on interior decor, crochet making and beading.
The training which spanned for five days and rounded up on July 20 at Miss Bright, Bomaka Buea was aimed at empowering Youths With Disabilities on how to be economically viable and independent.
According to Kesah Princely, Founder and CEO of FIEPWD, persons with disabilities have been the most affected by ongoing armed conflict in Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest Regions.
“Most persons with disabilities have lost hope. They have been affected so much by the Anglophone conflict whose humanitarian schemes have not been inclusive of their needs” Said Kesah Princely adding that some of them are suffering from depression and other mental health complications.
Kesah Princely holds a bead while other displayed items are in front of him
For that reason, they rally and imbibe them with skills acquisition and personal development skills like producing beads, crocheting and interior decor.
Aside from just learning life-saving skills, it was also an avenue for persons with disabilities to contribute their quota to solving environmental pollution.
That is because they had to recycle discarded materials like bottles and plastics to produce items for interior decor.
“They did not know they could use recycled material like cartoons, bottles and others to produce very beautiful things. They did not they could use beads to come out with wonderful creativities for the Cameroonian markets.” Said Kesah Princely.
That is why for five days, Hopeful Home For All, Association for Promoting Health and Global Wellness for the Community and Sustainable Development, and the foundation for the inclusion and empowerment of youths with disabilities contributed resources whereby they could train over 25 persons with disabilities.
The essence, Princely said is that Persons With Disabilities have reached a level where they should take their destiny into their hands.
“That means they should champion activities that can make them to be breadwinners. Before the Anglophone conflict, disability inclusion in the Northwest and Southwest was in the dungeons. I can tell you that the conflict has only exacerbated an already deplorable situation.” he added.
During the training, the trainers drilled them also on aspects of mental health and self-esteem while not forgetting things that can put food on their table.
Meh Begajum, a person with disability was one of the trainees.
“What I expected was so little compared to what I acquired. I specialised in the department of recycling. I learned how to do decor. It will help me financially” he said. As a person with visual impairment, he said while in school, he will be able to raise income by making good use of skills acquired from the training.
Another person who benefited was Eposi Elizabeth. She said it has always been her dream to learn a skill that can help her do some sustainable.
HFAC sharing didactic material to the trainees
With the skills already acquired, the organiser is looking forward to sponsoring the trainees with seed capital. They said they would ensure follow-up and encourage the trainees to go and train others.
The trainees equally received didactic material including school bags, buckets and soap from Hope For All Cameroon (HFAC).
“the items might not be much but I believe it is going to go a long way to help the trainees” said Emmanuel Mejame, CEO of HFAC.
