In the month of June, 2025, FAECARE Foundation conducted a one-day intensive advocacy training for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) at Akinima Town Hall, in Ahoada West Local Government Area, as part of its ongoing Disability Rights Initiative Project: Rural Rivers (DRIP:RR). The session brought together 22 participants, including 14 Persons with Disabilities, peer mentors, the technical adviser, and project team members.
The training aimed to:
Enhance awareness and understanding of disability rights among PWDs in rural communities.
Build advocacy skills to empower participants to engage with local authorities.
Address misconceptions and stigma associated with disabilities.
Promote the implementation of inclusive policies at the grassroots level.
Key Highlights of the training included Emmanuel Ogbemudia, Program Officer at FAECARE Foundation, introduced the organization’s vision to add value to the lives of vulnerable groups through humanitarian programs, including the Disability Rights Initiative. Faith Amadi, another Program Officer, emphasized the need to challenge prevailing misconceptions in rural areas that view disability as a curse, leading to discrimination and exclusion.
Dr. Obraori Peters, the project’s Technical Adviser and a legal expert, led sessions on the basic concepts of disability, types of disabilities, and legal protections under the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018.
Participants engaged in group activities to identify offensive terms used for PWDs in their communities and learned respectful alternatives. The training covered key rights, including access to education, healthcare, employment, inclusive transportation, and participation in public life. Participants identified forms of discrimination they experience locally and listed influential community leaders to engage in upcoming advocacy visits and roundtable discussions the next phase of the project. It was agreed that an awareness campaign in the market followed by key advocacy visits to the king would be the next phase of acctions. This will hold later in the month of June.
FAECARE Foundation supported by Disability Rights Fund is committed to advancing disability rights, leaving no one behind.
