Disability Resource Center Project

Introduction:

With the financial support of Leonard Cheshire Disability Development Program (LCDDP) CAMP has been implementing a one year project “Disability Resource Center” (DRC) in four union councils of district Peshawar starting from 1st January 2011 till 31st December 2011.

Target Area/Population:

The target areas of the project are the four union councils within Peshawar District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (UC Budnai, UC Nahaqai, UC Pakha Ghulam and UC Chamkani with an estimated 8,000 persons with disabilities (PWDs). Direct beneficiaries will include an estimated 1,000 PWDs receiving rehabilitation, empowerment and advocacy services, and 150 PWDs enrolled in skill training programs (and subsequently receiving seed money for self-employment).

Project activities:

Core activities of the project were divided into district level and outreach programme conducted within the target area of 4 union councils

Rehabilitation Empowerment and Advocacy Programme

Formation of User Groups

To ensure community participation and sense of ownership for the project activities amongst the direct beneficiaries and community members, the User Groups were established/formed in each of the four, targeted, Union Councils each user group contains 9 members of whom 4 members are PWDs while the remaining 5 are normal members.

The prime objective behind these user groups is to promote community involvement and voluntarism and to seek their support in identification and selection of deserving PWDs for skill trainings and seed money provision in their respective communities

Identification of PWDs            

The project target for the identification of PWDs was 450 but due to effective mobilization and advocacy the team has identified 518 PWDs in the targeted area. The purpose of this identification was to identify PWDs for skill training program, seed money   and provision of disability registration certificates from the social welfare department.

Skill Training Programme for PWDs

The entire project is focusing the skill training program which leads ultimately to the economic empowerment of PWDs. Addressing this need the team has started the skill training program of 150 PWDs in different trades like tailoring, embroidery, mobil repairing, carpenter, handicrafts etc.It is worth mentioning that those PWDs who have some expertise and skills in these trades were hired as resource persons for these trainings. It helped in economically empowering these PWDs to a bigger extent.

Provision of Seed money to 150 PWDs

The skill training program for 150 PWDs in these four targeted UCs is underway in different trades once the training program has been completed all these  trained  PWDs will be provided seed money which would enable them to run their own business on self help basis.

Accessibilities at the work places

Accessibility at the work places for the persons with disabilities has a major issue in the targeted UCs achieving this end the project team through a process of assessment and consultation with user group members has made (20) places accessible for the PWDs. Working in different areas these include ramps, stairs and provision of wheel chairs to the deserving PWDs.The total target for the project is 20 and so far the team has made 16 places accessible for the PWDs.