The impaired but independent project activities are prioritized to support the economic development of the communities and especially people with disabilities. People with disabilities in Agwang Foundation are referred to as being impaired. People with an impairment/disabilities are like all other people world over
They have dreams, ambitions and hopes for the future; including education, access to health care, a decent job, partner and a family. Due to misguided beliefs and social prejudices and mental models, they are excluded and denied information and access to certain resources in life, leaving them amongst the most marginalized group and neglected. So the project is geared towards contributing to the economic transformation of the lives of people with disabilities.
The people with disabilities, despite their impairment share very many common things like any other physically normal people. However; often times they are more marginalized than any other group, society perceives them differently in terms of opportunities like getting education, job and many more. It is estimated that 60 million people in developing countries have disabilities, half of whom are out of school. In the poorest regions in Africa, not even 10 per cent of the people with disabilities set their feet to a classroom; even those that are at school, are less likely to stay in school and being promoted. People with disabilities are often excluded from mainstream education and other opportunities. The disability of the people is not the biggest barrier but the attitude of the society towards them.
The Martha Agwang foundation initially known as UYDT helps to make sure the project realizes the goal of developing and empowering the people with disabilities with in the eastern region of Uganda particularly in Bukedea district with vocational skills that can support them make a decent living.
However, there is potential of the impaired project supporting the realization of provision of benches and office furniture to rural vulnerable government aided primary schools. As students of carpentry and joinery practice, their products especially the benches will be able to support the rural primary schools.
2.0 Project Overall Goal
To give people with disabilities a chance to acquire a skill, productively earn income and a decent living and transform family and others in the community but also provide benches to rural schools where children sit on the ground as they learn,
3.0 Target group
People with disabilities living with in Bukedea District
4.0 Project objectives
- To train at least over 100 people with disabilities in the different hands on skills
- To empower people with disabilities realize their own potential and purpose of life.
- To give start up tool kits to 15 trainees who will be trained to enable them start their businesses
- To give an inclusive education Program that brings together differently abled persons to learn together.
- To improve on the learning environment of rural children in rural schools.
5.0 Project activities
Achievements
- Identify and recruit the trainees –people with disabilities
- Interview the trainees to get to know their aspirations and what they need to be trained on-Skill and what they will do with the skill.
- Trainee’s selection and orientation
- Medical check-up of the different illnesses to ensure trainees safety and health during the training
- Purchase of Training Materials and training tools.
- Training on vocational skills for different periods depending on the vocational course
- Training on Entrepreneurship and business management to enable the trainees formulate their business ideas, work plans.
- Buying and giving out start up tool kits to the impaired people.
- Monitoring and Evaluation of the trainees in the field
- Documentation of project progress (, photos, collect success stories )
58 students with impairments have been trained and given start up tool kits to start their businesses (25 male and 32 female) in different skills like (Tailoring and fashion design, Carpentry and joinery, Building and Concrete practice and Hair dressing courses respectively)
