GlobalGiving.org: Provide Skills and Jobs to 425 Disabled in Nigeria

Settlement of Graduated Students

Chief Mrs. Aku Christy Orduh — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:52:21 GMT

The six ex-students employed

The equipment and tools supplied by National Directorate of Employment and Ministry of Women Affairs were given to graduants in groups to allow for Team work and security of tools. Incedentally MTN Foundation were not ready with what they intend to add to the graduants that time.

Arrangement is on the way to give them tools and equipment by MTNF to support the efforts of others and to give enough for easier work.We could not continue with the idea of Getting shop for them for at least one year due to lack of resources.Because we worked with their Parents and relatives who know what our objectives are, we asked them to procure the shops/convenient places to work in with the tools provided. We are not very comfortable with this and hope to improve on this with the settlement of the present students.

We make frantic efforts to monitor what they do and how it is serving the purpose of training.

* Six of them are our employees now in Welding, fish farm and tailoring.

* Sunday Ohagudo from the Eastern Zone of Nigeria got settled last month in a Primary school to teach Sign Language to Club members of children that hear and speak in addition to sewing their school uniform because he graduated from tailoring section. Learning Sign language is compulsory in our Centre during training because most of our students are hearing and speech impaired.We have discovered that those in tailoring section who hear and talk and can sign, have double advantageof being settled in school with sign language and sewing school uniforms.

* Sunday Chidinma Williams graduated maily from our Education section with minor interst in shoe making and welding. He sat for GCE in December 2011 and made a total of seven Credits including English, Maths and Biology.

He now works with St. John's Ambulance in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idiaraba Lagos State.He joined FOTD in 2006 from JSS One.

Mr. Wasiu Arioye has settled with a Turkey farm in Offa, Kwara State Nigeria.

We made a promise of involing them in trade and product exhibitions to help them sell thir products monitoring them is very necessary.

Sunday Chidinma W. leaves after GCE

Graduation and Recruitment of 50 for 2011-2013

Chief Mrs.Aku Christy Orduh — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:51:09 GMT

Graduation,

It was a ray history when 45 disabled youths were graduated from our Centre on July 14th 2011 from welding, Shoe Making and Tailoring and Fashion designs. It was the highest number of students to graduate from the Centre at a time so far. MTN Foundation made this happen by their sponsorship from 2009.

National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and Ministryof Women Affairs Abuja took the pains and responsibility to settle them with equipment and tools in their respective trades.We remain grateful to all our sponsors and Partners

The success of the Partnership between FOTD and MTNF gingered further interest that made MTNF ask for the recruitment of another fifty disabled youths to train in the Core trades for the period of 2011-2013.

Recruitment ,screening and Orientation took place from September to the first week of October when classes began.The staff strength has increased and out of twenty-one staff, FOTD is responsible for the payment and mentanance of seven (7) staff. This is because MTNF cannot do it all for us and we cannot achieve our objectives if the number of trainners needed are not provided. A total of eleven disabled skilled youths are working in th Centre. It serves as our employment medium. We need help now more than ever to sruggle it out and sustain those we employed. The highlight of the period was the AWARD of Recognition and Appreciation of hard work by an Organisation ,SPAN, headed by a person with disability.

In the Fish fariming area, we have succeed in BREEDING our own fingerlings instead of depending on buying from people all the time. We have fifteen Tanks now to manage.

Visit Report - Friends of the Disabled - Lagos

John Hecklinger — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:29:37 GMT

Fish from the on-site fish farm!

I've been in Nigeria for the last two weeks, visiting a few partners, but mostly trying to figure out why we don't have more Nigerian partners expressing interest in joining GlobalGiving. I've been impressed by the great NGO leaders turning up at our workshops, and I was blown away by long-time GlobalGiving partner, Friends of the Disabled.

Chief Aku Christy Ordu started the organization and grew it slowly over time. Today, it is a tidy, energetic center of skills training for the disabled, literally under a highway overpass. In her complex she has a tailoring workshop, a welding workshop, a shoemaking workshop, a fish farm, an urban garden, and a clean water baggie plant. She and her staff just graduated 50 disabled students from a two-year residential apprenticeship in leatherwork, tailoring, and welding, sponosred by the South African telecom MTN.

An Ashoka fellow, Chief Aku Christy Ordu goes for sytemic change and has successfully implemented sign language clubs in 50 schools to help make hearing imparment less of an obstacle. She was instrumental in passing Nigeria's first accessibility law for the disabled. Many of her top staff and most of the individuals employed in the income-generating activities are hearing impaired. She aims to prove to Nigeria that this issue does not have to be a barrier to having a successful life.

I very much look forward to meeting with Chief Aku on her next visit to the US. Her work is incredible, and she is ready to expand her fish farm from four to forty tanks! The total cost is about $20,000, and it will employ 20 people while generating income for ongoing skills training.

Amazing work!

More Income Generating Acivities /Graduation Month

Cheif Mrs. Aku Christy Orduh — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:48:51 GMT

Friends of the Disabled has joined the Community of FADAMA Agricultural groups by registering seven groups of different farmers with the Lagos State FADAMA Agricultural Cooperatives. As a result of this, Lagos State FADAMA Officials and the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives donated to the Centre Fish farm expansion and poultry materials to boost our production of fish and turkey. The Centre has a catfish farm that was started in 2009 through the partnership with MTN Foundation. The input by the government is an advantage to Private Public Partnership. Both farms are managed by youths with disabilities as part of skills acquisition and income generation and as they leave the Centre they can have a farm of their own if given the opportunity.

June 30th has tentatively been chosen for the graduation of 45 in three core skill areas. Twenty-three would graduate from tailoring, nine from welding and thirteen from shoe making. For their settlement, National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and Federal Ministry of Women Affairs are providing some tools and equipment to support the Micro Credit facility provided by MTN Foundation for their post graduation empowerment.

ACTIVITIES FOR THE GRADUATION OF 45

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:51:00 GMT

Activities are on to perfect and graduate 45 students in training since June 2009, For the first time we plan to settle them in groups and not as individuals in order to allow for proper monitoring and to help them attracct MIcro-finance aids.

Their choice of where to work after training led to settlement in three States, namely,Kwara,Lagos and Imo respectively.We have contacted the relevant Government Authorities to help in the resettlement. They are National Poverty Alleviation Program (NAPEP) Federal Ministry of Woment Affairs and National Directorate of Employment (NDE) In addition we we are canvassing for a year shop rent and a start up capital to help them start off well. If Micrfinance is involved, there would be a solid arrangement when they will start paying back

Some of them will be re-deployed in the Centre to boost the man power need of the Centre. It is a Miracle in their lives that they can now be busy and have hopes for the future. There is no way this could have been possible with out the kind donations of our Benefactors. We are grateful and will ever remain thankful.

Some of them have not only learnt trade to practice but have also opened their minds and eyes to academic pursuits. One of them have gained admission into a higher Institution and many of them are trying to read and sit for General Certificate of Education (GCE) We will keep in touch with the graduation and the settlement.

ACTIVITIES FOR JOB CREATION

Aku Christy Orduh (Chief Mrs.) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:46:10 GMT

Kevin, Kehinde and Goke harvest from the farm

Our income generating /job creation activities are also essential aspect of our training and empowerment. Those students who are agric friendly are being trained in poultry and fish farm.Some of the students are employed back into the Centre to manage these Agric Section and make a living from them. We partner in Fish Farm with Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research, Lagos Nigeria. A total of six persons ( three in each unit) are into this venture and all but one are persons with disabilities. We have enough space for expansion of fish farm if funds are available. The expansion can create jobs and business to twenty(20) disadvantaged youths going by the space we have in the Centre. Cart fish is in demand in the Community and It takes four months to breed. We are searching for a whole sale market for our poultry. We are grateful to our supporters and funders and ask for their comments that can spur us to better actions.

A lot more fish from the farm

Our Turkey in the farm

Supervision from Oceanography and Marine Research

Activities for Evaluation and Graduation

Aku Christy Orduh — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:01:54 GMT

Obioma on her machine sewing her wear

The 45 Final year students are into serious training and practice for the grading that leads to graduation. They are taken to places on excurtion to see where their type of skill/trade is practiced gainfully for income generating purposes. They are allowed to design , produce and exhibit for sales on any opportunity the Centre has to render services to any Community. Those who made sales in beads , tailoring and Welding are excited with the income they generated and are very eager to be in the instruction rooms for more and perfect products. They were given the opportunity to build with their stipend money and take the gains.The groups organised for after training settlement work closely for harmonious take off and transactions. Some parents reported in the last Parents/FOTD meeting of the good works and products their children/wards bring home to sell. some receive requests for products. We need funds to see them through as MTN Foundation that funded the first year are not forth coming for the second year.The group that stays by the road side to beg or are idle at home depending on others are now producers of what is needed and consumed in the Community for their social and economic integration.

Blessing Urieto at one of the sales point

Links:

our temporary website

45 students ready for the final year

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:39:58 GMT

INTEGRATION: Sign Language Club, Abuja Nigeria

All forty five students currently in training have successfully completed their work plan for the first year ready for the second and final year of the skill acquisition training with Friends of the Disabled. There is a proposal at hand to seek for settlement from MTN Foundation but the possibility is not there since they sponsored the training with eight thousand Naira incentive to each student per month. We need to work harder to settle them in groups as Cooperative groups to attract Micro finance assistance from the Government or Micro finance groups. Our plan is to get their parents and Guardians involved in any loans transactions. Settling in groups encourages collective ownnership and continous collaboration between and among themselves. Their graduation will come up in the month of July 2011.

JOB CREATION: Disabled youths man our fish farm.

Partnership with MTN Foundation yields positive result

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:10:49 GMT

MTN Foundation flagged off their Partnership project with Friends of The Disabled on the 12th of November 2009 with HRH; Rilwan Akiolu 1, The Oba of Lagos as the Chief host because our Centre is within his domain. A total of 45 young disadvantaged and disabled persons are benefiting from this project which will last for 2 years from june 2009.To partner with indigenous Company is a mile stone achievement.

Each of the students is given an allowance of N8000 (eight Thousand Naira only) to make it convenient and comfortable for them to concentrate and learn. In appreciation, the Lady, a disabled,who gave a vote of thanks said,” I know people pay to learn even disabled persons but we learn free and receive stipend to add.”

The Main project has two sustainable projects attached to it and both of them have given employment to seven disabled persons. The fishery is taken care of by three persons and the poultry is manned by four persons and all of them have monetary value attached. Many more disabled baggers have been trooping in for training though we cannot take them now till next recruitment period; it is a mark Mission achievement: to stop begging and exchange with skills.

The hoe and the digger cannot rest until the farm work is over so the struggle continues.

Globalgiving Ambassador, Miss Black Britain, visits Fotd Centre in Lagos

Orduh Aku Christy — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:59:26 GMT

History was made in Friends Of The Disabled (FOTD) Centre on the 4th of September, when Miss Black Britain Visited FOTD Vocational Skill Centre as part of her activities in Nigeria during her visit.She was greeted with a special dance from the hearing and speech impaired females. After going round the sections, she was convienced that impairment is not a disability except where and when the appropriate intervention is not given by the family and the society at large.She had the opportunity to take away gifts,the products from the Tailoring and Bead Sections as evidence of their resourcefullness.She also was given a Plaque for remembrance and continuity of relationship. (See photo gallary) We thank Globalgiving for considering her coming to us worthwhile. Also Researchers from the Global Fund For Children (GFC) from Washington DC, came to FOTD Centre from the 27th -29th of July 2009 to see the Vocational Skill Training for their GFC Research Program.Their report is still expected The training of 45 students by MTN Foundation has taken off.All the Equipment and Tools are completed. We THANK MTN FOUNDATION FOR THIS huge Investiment towards the recovery of the disabled youths. We commend our numerous Donors for their support that has led us this far and to say that it is not over until it is over.We are determined to achieve our aims and objectives for this project. The skills acquired by our trainees and their products now show that they are ready for integration into the mainstream of the society.

A Wide stride for further achievement.

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:03:55 GMT

We have succeeded in our negotiation to Patner with MTN Foundation to train 45 disadvantaged youths from the spresd of six Geopolitical Zones in Nigeria. The prject took off on the 1 st. of June 2009 when the Agreement was signed.MTN is the largest Telecommunication in Nigeria helping to reach out to the world. All our training machines that are not functioning are to be replaced and focus skills areas are in Welding, Tailoring and fashion design, Shoe making. Information Technology, Poultry and Fishery are included in the training for knowledge and sustainability of the project as a whole. NAFDAC, the Food and Drug packaging regulator has taken our water for final anlysis for us to get Identity to proceed packaging for sales. Each student is to receive N8,000 ( eight thousand Naira only) as the training goes on. The students could not hide their feelings and have expressed in many ways their joy to be selected for the training." I will have my own shop?. " Am lucky" These are some of their expressions as they were told that they would be helped to settle in a business when they finish. We are grateful to Globalgiving and their supporters who are also our Donors for taking us this far. We will not disappoint you. Thanks a lot. Let us know what you will like to ask about us. Thanks again.

We are almost there

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:57:23 GMT

The training to give skills and jobs to 425 disabled in Nigeria is yeilding dividend and we are seeing the end of the tunnel.At the end of the target project, the training continues for it is a continous process so long as there are disabled youths still roaming the streets for livelihood.Those we trained are recruiting others for training in the Centre and those trained in Computer are being employed by other business Centres. The capacity of the Centre is being enhanced by the aquisition of new machines and equipment to replace the aged ones. There is a recruitment exercise now to train another barge of forty five disabled with the promise to give them equipment and tools at the end of their training. The satchet water production will also aid us to do that amist other helps. The borehole for the satchet water now provides water to the Centre and so the students have no need to go out for drinking water. In a couple of months, the packaging will take off when NAFDAC must have given us number. We are working to make up the requirement of the Nation's food processing demand before we take off. We are grateful for the support of Globalgiving to showcase our project and more grateful to our donors who have sustained us this far. we are ready to go on and to bring the desired change with further support.

Project update #1044

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:21:38 GMT

The satchet water project is almost taking off. The registration with the relevant body according to Government requirement is still on and is the only factor to delay. The vahicle , the van for distribution of the water is avaliable. The training for the operation and packaging will start as quickly as the papers are ready.The disabled boys will man it and both boys and girls will work there.When it takes off, the economic and social life of those engaged will improve for the better.

The Latest on the Satchet water production

Chief Mrs. AKU Christy Orduh — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:03:10 GMT

The pACKAGING mACHINE

The Machines for the production of the sartchet came behind schedule and we are happy to say that it is with us at last. The pictures enclosed show the connections to the production machine and the machine itself. The important thing here is the fact that we are at a point we can view reduction and less dependence on external funding. Income from the production will help us solve some of our problems which heretherto would be delayed or not take off atall until donation comes. The disadvantaged and disabled will work there to earn income. It will attract more less previleged youths to hook on. Our Advocacy on ramps is yeilding dividend as His Eminence, Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie has joined us to appeal to all Priests in Lagos Archdioses to BUild Ramps at the entrance of the churches. We are also hopeful that Sign Laguage Club will be entrenched in the primary and secondary schools in Nigeria as we have pushed our advocacy very far in the Corridors of power ib Nigeria.

tHE PURIFICATION mEDIUM CONNECTED TO THE WATER TANKS

Progress in Advocacy field

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:31:33 GMT

We want to share the progress made in our efforts to implement the New Policy in Education which is in favour of Inclusive Education. We have proposed to the Federal Ministry of Education for Sign Language Clubs to be formed in Primary and secondary schools to help in learning sign language by non- hearing impaired children. The Hon Minister is in favour of it and we are waiting for his final action on it. Part of the Machines for the water business has been paid for and we are hopeful that the machines would be fixed before Christmas and business start in January 2008. We had successful sales of our products in Shell's compound in early September and have gotten the invitation for Christmas sales on December 18th 2007. Our students and beneficieries are hopeful of job come January when the Water business starts. We need money to complete what remains and to take off.

Success Stories from some visits

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:39:33 GMT

Our work progresses and we would like to share the highlights of some visits to the Centre with you.

Our efforts to create jobs for the disabled youths received a boost when Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) visited us the last week of July and donated to a vehicle that would carry around and market the satchet water. In addition they are organising Exhibition Sales in their office premises for the products of the Centre on the 5th of Sept 2007. This too encourages training and learning for both the trainers and trainees and showcases the value of skill acquisition.

The Self Help Project Officer, Staphanie, from the American Embassy also visited in July and the impression she had has led to her suggesting to the Consulate to organise Exhibition Sales for the work of disabled youths.

The Archbishop of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Olubumi Okogie, visited on the 3rd of August and promised to highlight our products and activities. He also has approved the building of RAMPS IN SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES and the Forming of Sign Language Clubs in schools under him to facilitate communication between children with and without speech and hearing impairment.

Our joy is in the fact that we have gotten the vehicle for the sale of satchet water, have a place to sell our products and that our advocacy is receiving positive attention all through visits of benefactors.

Achievement through Advocacy: POLICY CHANGE.

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Thu, 24 May 2007 11:16:22 GMT

Recently, Nigeria has changed her Policy of educating and training disabled person from exclusive treatment to Inclusive setting through the Education Reforms of the Mrs Oby Ezekwesili who has been now appointed the Vice Chairman of the World Bank. Friends of the dISABLED HAS BEEN ADVOCATING FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION since 2005 through National media, personal approach, lobbing, seminars and Workshops.By 2006, we wrote to the Hon. Minister, with imput from the parents of hearing and Speech impaired students in our Centre, asking that her planned reforms in Education should carry along the disabled people's education. WE ASKED AND RECOMMENDED THAT CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL, private or public, inorder to manage and finally eradicate discrimination which has been the major problem facing people with disabilities. The reponse was positive and Iwas invited as a Stakeholder to serve in Equity Team to sell and push my new idea. This I did along side with people who advocate for a change.At the end, other Stakeholders and Policy Makers saw the need to bring childern together from the primary to the secondary levels as their Human Rights and to get their peers get used to them from the beginning inorder to provide for their needs later. In Nigeria now there is A Ten - Year Plan/ Education reforms which has as its policy, the training of both the disabled and the non- disabled providing each child what he/she needs to learn effectively.There is the understanding that disability is a difference and those who have, should be provided with what they need to belong eg. Braille machines will be provided for those with visual impairement, Sign Language teachers be provided for those with hearing and speech impairment while ramps are built for those on wheel chairs. Cases that are beyond management in inclusive setting should still be treated in exclusion with the techniques to bring them together as much as possible. We have achived a Policy Change through our Advocacy. We are now faced with the challanges of implementation. A policy can be made but if not implemented is as bad as the originalsituation. If implemented, discrimination will phase off or at least be minimised; every child in school both primary and secondary will gradually and with time learn sign language and this in turn will phase off the hearing and sppech impairment as every body would be able to communicate with those who have it. Both disabled and the non-disabled would work in the same office without isolation. More reports on this will come with time.

Pure water project for job creation.

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 10:21:08 GMT

There is scarcity of water in our area and water sells well for those who can afford it.We embark on pure water project to creat jobs for disabled youths and to sustain both the Centre and to exchange begging and idleness with sustainable activities. Education Tax Fun Nigeria(ETF) HAS HELPED US PUT UP THIS STRUCTURE AND Rotary Club Lagos central has given us one borehole and a tank we need one more borehole and three water tanks, water purifying medium and packaging machine to take off. Be part of the change, Join us keep disabled youths reasonably busy.

Progress Report

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 20:19:05 GMT

We have scalled up the training in ICT for speech and hearing impaired youths mostly females so that they can communicate effectively with their environment and the world through the Internet with out discrimination. Could you part of training them? We have mounted a campaign for Sign Language for the Primary and SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA FOR iNCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR THIS GROUP.

Training and Job Creation for 425 disabled youths

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 17:10:41 GMT

We have included 50 hearing and speech impaired youths in our ICT Training. It is not easy to discover that they are disabled and they suffer in silence. With ICT training, they can chat, send e-mails and communicate with non-disabled and the disabled in the society. On our 10th year Anniversary of training in Lagos only, 28th of September 2006,the British High Commissioner, His Excellency, Richard Gozney, Commissioned 10 New Compuiters with one Internet Connection Service donated by the High Commission in Nigeria. We also celebrated the progress/success of one of the beggers we picked on the road in 1993, trained in primary and Secondary school now in Bayero University Kano. One of our beneficiaries in 1998 now works with the First Bank PLC. Our project is in the rural grassroot and it is difficult to get electricity for our ICT and other works and so we depend more on generator and it is very expensive. We have a line up of income generating projects that can give income to the less privileged; Pure water processing and snailery. We need encouragement to continue to train and put into good use.

New project photos; Training and Job Creation for 425 disabled in Nigeria.

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Mon, 08 May 2006 13:16:49 GMT

The lecture for 100 disabled in Lagos.

The trainees listerning to talk

Break time and entertainment

Trainng and Job Creation for 425 disabled in Nigeria.

Chief Aku Christy Orduh — Mon, 08 May 2006 13:01:48 GMT

We have started a Small Scale Business Centre in the Obowo Local Government of Imo State. Direct beneficiaries:10. Indirect beneficiaries; 100. It will train 200 persons.

This is the first time income generating activities have been set up for disabled in the area. People are not only happy but are surprised that they can live on their handiwork and not begging. We are constrained by finances to provide other things needed there. We want to reach other Local Govt. Areas in the Esst. We held a workshop for 100 trainees in Lagos on, "The business of the skill learnt" Pictures are enclosed.Others will follow.