Women And Realities of Disability - WARD

28/11/2023

I always dreamt of getting a baby before I turned 30, but as a woman who experiences spastic cerebral palsy, I worried that my dream would never come to be.
As it turns out, my dream was valid; my son, J., was born before I turned 30!
J. has a head full of silky-soft hair which he got from me.
He joined nursery school this year. Being his only parent for the last four years has been a joy. My heart does a little happy dance each time J. calls me "Mum". Recently, he has taken to stroking my cheek and saying, "Ninakupenda."
On the night that I gave birth to J., my mother and I and a kindly neighbor had to visit four different hospitals before finding medics who were willing to aid me in giving birth. But when a new day came it brought the miracle that is my son.
In my son's eyes, I am a strong and wise hero despite my constant tremors. He and I make an unbeatable team. One day, when J is all grown up, I hope that the world will see how happy he made me.
-Josephine K Mwende

*Do you have a story to share? Let us know and we will help you tell it to the world.

05/07/2023

iMPACT direct connects a large group of donors to underfunded African non-profits with successful local solutions. They enable direct donations to their projects. For more information visit https://impactdirect.eu/
The Global Good Fund Fellowship is a 12-month hybrid leadership program for social entrepreneurs around the world. For more details please click the link https://globalgoodfund.org/fellowship-program/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwho-lBhC_ARIsAMpgMofSg5Ma_69l7Ptyuq83iyxlctZg5fg6on1QhfHXE5828iZs7EtUGQkaAt_4EALw_wcB
The EAC Regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunization, and Health Supply Chain Management (EAC RCE-VIHSCM) is pleased to announce a call for applications for (two) Master’s Programmes for the academic year 2023-2024. See more details on https://www.eac.int/education/scholarship-opportunities/2829-call-for-applications-master%E2%80%99s-degree-in-pharmaceutical-analysis-and-quality-assurance-and-health-supply-chain-management-2
CJRF makes grants in Kenya and Tanzania to raise community voices for sustainable livelihoods, climate resilient land management, and community-driven development. Visit https://www.cjrfund.org/east-africa-grants for more information.
The New Partners Initiative of the Africa-Europe Foundation (AEF) will provide support and expertise to develop youth-led grassroot initiatives aimed at engaging new audiences in Africa-Europe cooperation. The first cycle focuses on Blue Economy and Ocean. Find more details on https://www.africaeuropefoundation.org/areas-of-action/the-africa-europe-foundation-launches-'partners-initiative'-to-empower-youth-led-initiatives/
The Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) works to strengthen the health research capacity of scientists in Africa who are engaged in tackling the continent’s significant health challenges. AREF is calling for applications from scientists who are active, emerging biomedical/health researchers in African countries to participate in in the forthcoming Essential Grant Writing Skills Programme. For more information please visit https://www.africaresearchexcellencefund.org.uk/news/essential-grant-writing-skills-programme-octobernovember-2023
Mama Cash has the flexibility to fund anywhere in the world. Even though contexts are significantly different, concerns of some specific groups of women, girls, trans people and intersex people tend to be under-addressed and/or contested in most societies (and social movements). Get more information on https://www.mamacash.org/en/apply-for-a-grant-1
AAUW International Fellowships are awarded for full-time study or research to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Find more on https://www.aauw.org/resources/programs/fellowships-grants/current-opportunities/international/
AWDF was founded to support the leadership and agency of African women in transforming society towards equality and justice. See more on http://awdf.org/grant-types-and-criteria/
Seed Innovation Challenge, organised by the Agro Innovation Lab together with RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria AG, aims to obtain a market & technology overview of innovative solutions for seed production to establish partnerships between the applicants and organisers in the interests of the product range of RWA and its brand “Die Saat”. This will support a sustainable and modern expansion of the range and an innovative design of seed production. More information can be found on https://www2.fundsforngos.org/agriculture-food-nutrition/seed-innovation-challenge-2023/
Historic funding available for civil society and communities to champion ambitious people-centered, human-rights based, gender-transformative TB responses. To get more information visit https://www.stoptb.org/challenge-facility-civil-society-round-12-apply-now-to-be-part-of-historic-funding
The Atlas Corps Fellowship engages global professionals committed to social impact in 12-18 months of service with organizations in the U.S. to learn best practices, build organizational capacity, and return home to create a network of global leaders. For more information about the Fellowship and the benefits of participating, please visit programs.atlascorps.org. For more information about how to apply, visit apply.atlascorps.org.

media/2022/04/africa.svg projectsin Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda media/2022/04/donate.svg € donated media/2022/04/queue.svg lives improved + people benefited Since 2020 impactdirect.eu 

09/06/2023

Dear Colleagues,

Please can I ask you to distribute this email and attachment as widely as possible to disabled young people aged 30 or under. Closing date for applicants is 30th June 2023.

We are now recruiting for CDPF online Disabled Youth Leadership course. This will run from September to February. Please circulate as widely as possible the attached application form to your members, friends and colleagues aged 30 or under. The CDPF represents Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) / Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) from across the 56 countries of the Commonwealth. At present CDPF have 95 member organisations in 50 Commonwealth countries. While 60% of the population of the Commonwealth are under the age of 30, nearly all the leaders of our disability organisations are over 30 years. We urgently need to develop and recruit many more disabled youth leaders to the leadership of the Commonwealth’s
Disability Movement.

The Executive Committee has decided as part of CDPF’s contribution to Commonwealth Year of Youth (YoY), to recruit young disabled people (aged 30 or under) to take part in a 6 module on-line leadership training course. Modules will include Social Model/Human Rights Perspective, Organising the Struggle for Rights, Ensuring Equality, DPO Democracy, Funding and Project Management, Maximising Impact on Public and Government. Each module will cover essential knowledge and ways of taking forward our struggle for meaningful realisation of disability rights.

Our task is to get our Governments and Societies to fully implement Disabled People’s Equality and Rights.
We are keen to recruit participants representing the full range of impairments and intend to provide access in sign language, captioning, easy read and audio description. The course and its materials will be in English. Each module will cover essential knowledge and ways of taking forward our struggle for meaningful realisation of disability rights. Selection will usually require an endorsement from the applicant's DPO/OPD.
Criteria for selection

A. Be a disabled person with a long-term impairment (physical, mental, psycho-social, sensory or other).

B. Be aged 30 years or younger.

C. Be resident in a Commonwealth country.

D. Be involved with a Disabled People led organisation at local, regional or national level. (We will check your involvement with the contact you provide).

E. Alternatively to D, been involved in struggles for disability rights and undertake to join an appropriate DPO/OPD.

F. Be prepared to do pre-study and attend the 6 modular courses online.

G. Indicate a willingness to get involved in the leadership of the struggle for disability rights.

The course will run with a module each month from September 2023 to February 2024.
Each module will consist of an online presentation, background reading materials & activities and an interactive seminar. There will also be an on line application for participants to interact. Those applying must commit to complete the 6 modules and must undertake private study of our 14 module 2021 online Disability Equality course prior to the start of the course. It’s available at www.commonwealthdpf/training

PLEASE COMPLETE AND RETURN THE ATTACHED APPLICATION FORM BY 30th JUNE 2023 andreturn this duly signed form to [email protected]

--
Richard Rieser,
General Secretary, Commonwealth Disabled People's Forum
c/o World of Inclusion Ltd.

Inbox to get the application form before the deadline indicated in the message above.

27/09/2022

In honour of the World Contraceptive Day that was celebrated yesterday, VSO will hold a webinar on disability inclusion in Family Planning tomorrow from 9am Kenyan time. The link to be used to access the webnar:

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZWRlZGIyM2ItZWYxYS00MjhiLWJlMDQtNmM5NGVlYTgzZmUz%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22da5ea36c-cca3-4679-9d1a-7902954692ab%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cf0ad79f-8eed-47ae-82d2-833663227f23%22%7d

Thanks y'all.

26/09/2022

26th September is world contraceptives day.

As we mark it's significance, let's consider person's with disabilities and their reproductive health needs.

Does the notion they have no fertility challenges and thus need not to be included in decision making by institutions in charge of family planning prevail?

Who reaches out to them and listens to their experiences on matters sexual health and safe/appropriate contraceptive choices?

If a person living with a disability decides to seek help; how is access made easy and personalized given the already existing challenges thay they face with getting to health facilities?

Where can they find a listening ear that also guarantees confidentiality?

Sincere attempts to find answers to the above questions can lead us closer to embracing the fact that person's living with disabilities just like the rest of the population have a right to information and appropriate solutions to all issues related to contraception.