Jobs for People w/disAbility Creates Independence

There are many areas where people can work in Special Families.  We try to make sure that all programs have someone with a disAbility working in their area because there is so much that we can all learn from having diversity in the workplace. The area that I would like to focus on here is our recycling center.  For more than 20 years Familias Especiales has been recycling paper and other products in Matagalpa and selling them to companies who make it into other products.  This gives good job opportunities but mostly in the area of selecting the paper because once it is collected (donated to us) we have to separate it into categories before we can sell it. 

This has given us the chance to give jobs to people who have what would be called by some sever disAbilities.  It would be almost impossible to find a job for them in any other type of environment.  The selecting is a process which can easily be taught and the person is not endangering themselves in the process they are seated and can just sort the paper that is given to them.  So many of our young people before coming to work at the center were basically hidden in their homes not because family was ashamed of them but because where could they go and be useful.  Unemployment is very high in Matagalpa because it is an agriculturally coffee based economy and there just are not many jobs available.

The great thing that has happened is that our young people working in recycling have become experts in this selection.  Their work is also leading the way for more awareness about our natural environment.  By recycling paper, they are literally saving trees. We have a wide variety of people with disAbilities in recycling and they can all perform this work.  They have the opportunity to build work relationships and to be more independent. Of course for many of them this is their first job opportunity and they are very proud that they have a place to come and be useful.  When you go into the center you find people concentrating on their jobs.  Some people have come and tried to interview the young people and they usually get a remark “I am sorry but I am now at work.”  These jobs are a lifeline for these young people.  We offer them other services while they have a job in Recycling.  If they need it they get transportation to and from work.  They also get a free meal at noon and they also receive social services.  Some of them are part time workers and part time in our basic life skills classes. We try to have different activities that they can participate in such as celebrating birthdays and special events like the 1 k race and different fairs that FE holds during the year and the annual assembly of workers.  They find the work at recycling builds a network of friends. We are very happy to share this work with so many young people who would otherwise be sitting at home, and now they are making a difference in the natural environment by recycling paper.