Taraba VCDP To The Rescue of PLWDs
To promote inclusion strategies for People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs), the VCDP entered into a partnership with the Taraba State Agency for Mass Education Board and enrolled 40 People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) – 30 lame and 10 deaf and dumb- into basic literacy training after which the Board will certify them.
The VCDP further engaged People Living with Disability in an oral needs assessment to determine what their actual needs are. Their responses revealed that they could fit into the Market Enterprise of the programme value chain. Presently, 3 of them were engaged in PWD Mini Off-taker Enterprise Strategy. Two female-one in Jalingo and the other in Bali while the male is from Sunkani of Ardo Kola LGA leading to the establishment of One-Stop-Agro – Marketing Shops. The 3 PWDs off-take from our processors and sale. These innovations from Taraba SPMU witnessed by the NPMU and other state SPMUs encouraged to adopt.
Aside from the one-stop-Agro-Marketing shops, five additional PWD were also engaged in the production of rice who were supported with 3” Water Pumps. These initiatives have started yielding success stories.
Ladifa Abubakar is a 21-year-old cripple since birth. She began begging for survival between 9 to 10 years. At 15 years, she started thinking of being self-dependent but her disability or the resources to start with constrained her.
During her begging business, she sometimes realized 2 Thousand Naira(N2,000.00) in a very good day but sometimes less.
Begging for alms is a vocation for the disable in this part of the world which may be rewarding but comes with a lot of frustration, contempt and abuse. Some alms givers instead of being sympathetic with PWD’S circumstance have exploited their vulnerability by abusing them.
PWDs are forced to beg for alms because their family may not be able to carter for their needs. They are therefore forced to go to the streets for begging.
In some instances, alms’ givers will just throw alms to PWDs in contempt as they don’t want to have any contact with them or out of sheer contempt, looks down on them.
Ladifa got tired of these frustrations at a point that she started thinking beyond begging. In one of her outings, she got Three Thousand Naira (N3,000.00) from alms.
In one instance, Ladifa approached a flour seller to give her a credit of maize flour to start a business. Flour sellers started laughing and even declined to give her. Instead of being discouraged, she told them to give her Three Thousand Naira(N3,000.00) worth of maize flour and cassava flour with which she started her business.
The point of sales of her maize flour in Mayo Goi bus stop, Jalingo was another uphill task as discrimination by buyers and competitors alike is one hell of challenge.
These challenges are now history as the VCDP asked the PLWDs to form one organization which turned out to be a blessing. After sensitization, Ladifa realized that the VCDP explanations were in tune with her aspirations. It even gave her the avenue to share her past experiences at that venue.
The PLWDs were not only sensitized but were giving training on business planning.
When asked of their needs assessments, Ladifa just told them marketing in the cassava and Maize flour business. The VCDP gave PWDs small money that day which help her boost her maize and cassava flour business.
More so, she was picked out of the three PLWDs to test run the One-Stop-Shop for the PLWDs.
She rented a shop, given a table and Chair, given a rubber, mudu, bag of rice, bag of cassava chips and a signed post free of charge.
The independence she sought for, came to her on a platter of Gold. The first one rice bags she realized N3,500. The second bag she got N6,000 while the cassava chips she realized N4,000 and the second she got N6,000. In fact, the multiplier effect of her business does not stop as at cassava and maize flour, she now expanded and included other things to her shop that include indomie, maggi, vegetables, etc.
In fact, she now aggregates for other women who want to put their wares in her shop and she charged them user fees.
The VCDP has also enrolled her into the adult literacy classes for PLWD opened by the VCDP to help her keep records of her business. She formerly could not read or write. She never knew she would hold N5,000 in her hands but I would not have disclosed her worth for fear of the unknown.
Ladifa Abubakar, Abubakar Suleiman of Ardo Kola and the class of deaf & dumb
