GIVE US GOOD EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES. I wish to call on the federal government and others stakeholders through this widely read newspaper to the urgent need to give good, and all inclusive empowerment programmes that will be beneficial to citizens with disabilities in the country. Each time I think of how this group of people suffers in this nation, I always have a troubled spirit, and begin to wonder why people have to suffer despite all the God’s given natural resources and favourable climate. Various poverty alleviating programmes of the government are not always taking into due consideration of how people with disabilities could participate effectively and conveniently in such programmes. Take for instance, the latest Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), which gives about 20 percent of all employment opportunities slots to people with disabilities, but how many of such people have gainfully being engaged in all States of the federation ever since the commencement of the programme? They are either being denied access to the officials in charge of the programme, or being told that none of those programmes are applicable to them due to their physical challenges. Does that mean we should just abandon them to die of hunger at homes without proffering any alternative solutions to their problems? This is often too bad for a nation like Nigeria, where unity and oneness is being preached all the times by her leaders. Just as it is true that the only antidote to hunger is food, the only known way to conquer darkness is to switch on the light. It is of no use cursing darkness when you can dispel it. Designing good and inclusive empowerment programmes will make vulnerable people to contribute meaningfully to the economy. As an example of what government can do for them is an idea of a Village Economic Empowerment Programme (VEEP), which we have initiated as our own interventory strategy at curbing the rate of unemployment and be creating jobs. It is a community based participatory economic empowerment strategy that is designed at involving the economically deprived group in the society to think deeply, design and execute sustainable livelihood projects or services that could be generating income for them. With this idea, it gives an opportunity for a citizen with disability to answer this question ‘What are you good at doing in your community, do you have the knowledge and resources, what is its peculiarity and what will drive you to success and sustain such idea?’. The mindset of these questions is that when members of a given society participate meaningfully in relief or developmental programmes/ projects, it is more likely that the project will be effective because it meets real need and yearning of the people, and greater sense of the ownership which will in return drive to greatness. With our VEEP, we have decided to go into Agro-business activities such as fish farming, poultry, piggery, rearing of goats, rabbit etc, and at the same time be producing garri for the teeming populace, all these are designed at generating incomes for ourselves at our community. All projects under the VEEP are easily accessible for citizens with disabilities, non-stressful activities and do not involve movement of heavy objects or machines. Having this kind of initiative is the light that can dispel the darkness of ignorance, poverty, mediocrity and non-inclusion of citizens with disabilities into all societal activities. I now appeal to the concerned authorities to kindly come to our aid and expand our activities so that we can meet the demand of the people. We want government and well-meaning Nigerians in the spirit of our centenary celebration, to assist the vulnerable people in the society by having special interest in all programmes that could make them to live normally and make every effort in alleviating the current harsh economy among them due to the present unemployment challenges in the country. We are legitimately demanding for our own God’s given inheritance for better welfares. We can achieve this if only we can work together as partners. Remember the popular saying in disability world that says: “No one can do it for us; but us” and that is why we are formulating ideas that could better our lives. We do believe that there are many people who might decide to initiate similar projects in their localities using the idea as captured in this article, to kindly get in touch with us for more concept or knowledge sharing, and if you want to support projects or programmes that can significantly contribute positively to the lives of citizens with disabilities in our societies to feel free in reaching us. And to all government agencies who think that we can work together and fix things in a holistic manner for the benefit of this group, or those that are willing to offer good advice with us on how to make it and achieve our goal to kindly support us at any time. They are most very welcome and appreciated.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 13:18:15 +0000
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