Monrovia — AIFO Liberia, in collaboration with the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled, Williette Safehouse, and Oscar Romero School for the Deaf, has successfully implemented and independently evaluated a European Union funded two-year project, Voices for Inclusion and Civil Society Empowerment (VOICE), aimed at providing vocational skills training for persons with disabilities in Liberia, particularly the deaf and hard of hearing (HOH).
The project was designed to provide vocational skills training, sign language courses and other related services to persons with disabilities, especially the deaf and HOH, to enable them to acquire the necessary skills needed to participate actively in the employment sector in Liberia. The project was aimed at reducing poverty, empowering those with disabilities, and improving their overall standard of living.
During the two-year project, beneficiaries received training in different vocations such as tailoring, cosmetology, pastry, and carpentry. These skills were taught in a supportive, inclusive, and accessible environment using sign language interpreters. The project also offered basic advocacy and financial management training to equip organizations of persons with disabilities with the knowledge to raise money, start and sustain successful small businesses while advocating for inclusion of PWDs.
The project, which was implemented in Montserrado, Nimba and Bomi Counties, has equipped beneficiaries with the necessary skills to compete in the employment sector, as evidenced by a recent independent, external evaluation where 90 percent of the beneficiaries strongly agreed that they are now able to do so.
"Deaf people, as beneficiaries of the project, clearly demonstrated their ability in interacting with the society if well educated in the use of sign language and their inclusion in the workforce not only promotes diversity, but also provides opportunities for them to contribute to their communities and self-sufficient lives," said Leonardo Volpetti, AIFO Liberia Country Director.
The VOICE project represents a significant step towards creating a more inclusive and prosperous society that prioritizes the rights and needs of persons with disabilities. It is an invitation for all employers of Liberia to consider the inclusion of deaf people within their institutional employment opportunities.
To foster more social cohesion and reconnect their family ties, the project extended sign language training to parents. More than double the parents enrolled into the project than initially targeted.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"My son was being neglected by most of the family members including myself because I was not able to communicate with him. Therefore, he wasn't much prioritized in the family. However, with the help of VOICE Project, my son is now part of us and we are able to effectively communicate with him through the sign language training both of us received during the project" - Mr. Aloysius, father of one of the beneficiaries of the sing language training in Nimba County.
With the success of the project, AIFO Liberia and partners look forward to expanding their efforts towards promoting greater inclusion for persons with disabilities in Liberia.
We, at AIFO Liberia, are committed to working tirelessly to support such initiatives and to continue our work towards a more inclusive and equitable Liberia. AIFO Liberia is a professional non-profit health and development organization that enables opportunities for persons with disabilities through focused healthcare, education and economic empowerment interventions with the aim of providing a better quality of life and creating large scale positive change.
AIFO (Associazione Italiana Amici di Raoul Follereau) is a Non-Governmental Organization that promotes international health cooperation initiatives for persons with disability and persons affected by leprosy in 11 countries in Africa, Asia and South America, in collaboration with local NGOs, religious congregations, grass-root organizations and governmental authorities.
For more information about AIFO Liberia and their initiatives, please visit our website at www.aifoliberia.org.
