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There are estimated to be as many as 150,000 people with disabilities in Namibia, the majority of whom have little or no access to healthcare and education and have few opportunities to get a job and support themselves. Through this project VSO will support 20,000 disabled people by reducing stigma and misconceptions about disability, empowering people with disabilities and enabling them to access improved support services and participate fully in all aspects of society. This five-year project has a funding requirement of £161,000.
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VSO is an international development charity that places highly skilled volunteers to fight poverty and disadvantage in 34 of the world’s poorest countries. Our volunteers share skills with local people so that when they leave the work continues. This is a unique, practical, effective and sustainable way to reduce poverty. The apartheid era in Namibia produced a society of extreme inequalities and while a small minority of people lead lives equivalent to those in developed countries, the majority of Namibians live in severe poverty. Within this skewed society people with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable, voiceless and poverty-stricken groups in the whole country. Many face a double burden of practical difficulties and discrimination. Disabled girls and women in particular experience multiple discrimination. VSO will place volunteers to work in five of the six most disadvantaged regions of Namibia in partnership with organisations to achieve two specific objectives: 1. Greatly improve the services to disabled people by strengthening organisations working with this disadvantaged group. 2. Reduce the levels of stigma and misconception about disability in Namibian society by increasing public awareness and political understanding. Some of the volunteer activities will be: · Establishing and strengthening regional offices for the National Federation of People with Disabilities in Namibia · Establishing the effective management and distribution of disability data across all local disability organisations in order to improve communication, cost effectiveness and efficiency · Project management, monitoring and evaluation for local disability organisations and projects to enable them to work more effectively · Generally supporting local organisations working for people with disabilities in management and office systems, networking, and campaign and advocacy initiatives, particularly those led by people with disabilities.