SAFOD

Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled

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Children & Youth Programme

Raises the profile of children and youth with disabilities and promotes the delivery of their rights. Encourages and advises parents of children with disabilities to set up their self-help parent support groups and organizations. Encourages youth to be evolved in DPOs.

Disabled children were guests at the SAFOD Regional Parents Workshop in November 1999 in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Young disabled people want to represent themselves

Three priority areas: Education & Training, Employment & Economic Empowerment, HIV & AIDS Awareness

In accordance to the African Decade objective: involve young disabled people into the organizational structures of Disabled People’s Organizations SAFOD’s General Assembly in 2002 decided to establish a Youth Development Programme.

In April 2003 young delegates, two from each SAFOD member country, attended a Consultative Planning Workshop in Gaborone, Botswana. The youth came up with three priority areas of their needs, which have to be addressed by the SAFOD Youth Development Programme:
- education and training;
- employment and economic empowerment;
- HIV and AIDS awareness.

In September 2003 the young disabled again met in Happy Valley Hotel in Swaziland for a leadership training workshop with the focus on “Disabled Youth fighting HIV and AIDS”. SAFOD Youth Programme facilitator, Ronah Sibanda presented the problems young disabled people are facing:

Problems Facing:
- Lack of opportunities and chances to develop and lead a full social life;
- Negative attitudes;
- Vulnerable to all forms of abuse such as rape;
- Less employment opportunities;
- No access to information and social support;
- Suffering from loneliness.

A third workshop was held in June 2004 in Lilongwe, Malawi on “Action for Inclusion and Development of Youth with Disabilities”.
The young disabled people came up with the recommendations to establish a SAFOD Regional Youth Interim Committee which will be broad based and comprise a youth representative from each SAFOD member organization.
National Assemblies are urged to include young disabled people in all their programmes. Youth at national levels should come up with activities to spearheading the implementation of the African Decade.
The next workshop is planned for May 2005 in Lesotho.

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