Lusophone Africa |
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DPOs and disabled people in Lusophone (Portuguese speaking) Africa |
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| Ivo de Jesus, president of LARDEF, meeting disabled people in the community Sao Tome & Principe |
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| DPO leaders from the five African Lusophone countries |
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Researching needs and priorities and networking
In January 2006, DDP assisted by the director of our partner in Angola LARDEF concluded a research project in three Lusophone (Portuguese speaking) countries in West and Central Africa – Cape Verde, São Tomé e Príncipe and Guinea Bissau - to find out the needs and priorities of the disabled people and their organisations and to assess how DPOs in Lusophone Africa (including Angola and Mozambique) could work together to promote their interests and to participate in regional disability movements.
This group of countries are members of FDLP, the Federation of DPOs in Portuguese Speaking Countries which has a secretariat in Angola.
The reason for doing this research was that Lusophone countries as a ‘linguistic region’ have become isolated from most development work in Africa, which is generally focused in English and French speaking countries.
The research culminated in a joint 6 day workshop in Maputo, Mozambique in January 2006 with the participation of 26 DPO representatives from all 5 Lusophone African countries. This was the first platform for meeting and sharing of information, consultation and planning issues related to the needs and priorities of disabled people in their respective countries.
The research findings are helping DDP to initiate and build new partnerships to work with DPOs and relevant government agencies especially in Cape Verde and SãoTomé and Príncipe.
Cape Verde - with Associação Caboverdiana de Deficientes (ACD) – the Cape Verde Association of Disabled People, we are planning comprehensive programmes for disabled people, which will include community based rehabilitation and support for the country’s orthopaedic centre.
São Tomé and Príncipe - there is no orthopaedic rehabilitation centre in the country and DDP is keen to see that one is built. DDP is also planning to develop programmes to build the capacity of Associação de Deficientes de São Tomé e Príncipe – the Association of the Disabled in São Tomé and Príncipe, to enable them to promote effectively the interests of disabled people in their country.
For more information visit www.acd-cv.org |
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