Economic Empowerment
Many parents/caretakers of Children with Cerebral Palsy and Autism are single mothers who are living in abject poverty. And thus they are not capable of reaching most of the basic needs of their children. There is a necessity to support them to cater for the people with CP and Autism through activity raising on Cerebral Palsy and Autism. since this is just a beginning there is a need for reliable support for income generating activities.
Through the CPARO Workshops for persons with Cerebral Palsy and Autism, parents, caretakers, local leaders have acquired more knowledge and understanding about Cerebral Palsy and Autism. Most parents and caretakers used to view their children and youths with disabilities as a curse or burden before understanding conditions. The Organisation has helped parents to meet other Cerebral Palsy and Autism cases including educated youth with disabilities which has given them hope that if they take good care of their children they could also be important in the future.
CRITICAL AREAS REQUIRING INTERVENTION .
Economic Empowerment through Income generation Activities
Economic empowerment plays an integral role in reducing discrimination of youth with Cerebral Palsy and Autism as it makes them to become economically active people which are among the symbols of acceptance in the community The majority of Parents/ caretakers of Children with Cerebral Palsy and Autism live in abject poverty with limited capacity to meet most of the basic needs of life for their children. To demonstrate the capacity, potential and abilities of people with Cerebral Palsy and Autism to start, manage and benefit from income generating projects (IGAs), there’s need to support them. The IGAs will improve their incomes and live independently.
CPARO established that most families of children and youth with Cerebral Palsy and Autism would be able to manage the IGAs to enable them provide basic needs to their children. Most of them however, have limited opportunities to enable them start such projects. Interaction with parents, caregivers and people with Cerebral Palsy and Autism, indicated a number of projects that can be managed easily yet they have high returns of investment. These include;
HUTCH
PROJECT UNDER CPARO
- Small Scale Businesses/ Cottage Industries.
- Health Services.
- Advocacy.
- Poultry keeping.
- Goats and Sheep rearing.
- Provision of Heifers.
- Crop Farming.
- Art and crafts.
- Sanitation.
- Tailoring
- Cookery
- Education
- Bee Keeping
- Rabbit Keeping
- Carpentry and Joinery among others
Currently, CPARO has over 500 families with children and youth with Cerebral Palsy and Autism. Over 85% of them require support financially or materially to enable them establish Income Generating Activities. Establishing IGAs will go a long way to improve the incomes of the families, their capacity to meet the needs of people with Cerebral Palsy and Autism and ultimately contributing to their independent living. This program will focus on improving livelihood of people with Cerebral Palsy and Autism through empowerment in terms of skills and competencies in managing viable income generation activities as well as empowering households with children and youth with cerebral Palsy to be able to meet their basic needs.
OBJECTIVES
- To provide seed capital to families of people with Cerebral Palsy and Autism to start IGAs.
- To increase knowledge and skills of people with Cerebral Palsy and Autism and their caretakers in the management of IGAs.
INDICATORS
- Number of families supported with IGAs
- Number of people with cerebral Palsy and care takers equipped with skills to start and manage businesses.
- Number of families with capacity to meet basic needs.
PROPOSED INTERVENTIONS
- Assessment of families for people with cerebral Palsy to establish viable income generating projects for them
- Training of selected beneficiaries in starting and management of business enterprises
- Training in enterprise selection and identification of income generating activities.
- Apprenticeship placement for youth with cerebral Palsy and Autism who are out of school to local artisans.
- Provision of seed capital to establish viable business ventures
- Continuous monitoring and support supervision.