Written by Aida Toye, Voice Linking and Learning Assistant, Oxfam in Niger

Accountability Lab Niger, the Linking and Learning facilitator, organises monthly linking and learning meetings for Voice partners working in the country (in urban and rural areas). Linking and learning within Voice fosters an environment for sharing and bringing in the unique voices of all our rightsholder groups and organisations.

NGO ODI Niger. implementing a project entitled “Inclusive Festival” in Niger was the host for this month’s meeting. The meetings rotate to allow for different environments and learning topics pending on which partner hosts, allowing for new partners to be welcomed. This time the topic was “Disabilities, typologies and the services of prevention and disability care services”.

Last month, Accountability Lab (ALAB), the Linking and Learning Facilitator for Niger and Mali hosted the meeting. It provided an opportunity for grantees to discuss the planning for their capacity strengthening which they like to work on and champion. ALAB also helped some partners to create their own Facebook page and had a session showing them how to upload pictures on Facebook, Twitter and sharing of videos on YouTube.

This month’s training captured rich moments to learn more about:

• How disabilities occur,
• How to distinguish the different types of disability,
• What are the different ways to prevent disabilities,
• How to support people with disabilities in order to realise their full potential.

In addition to the facilitator, in charge of monitoring and evaluation within the “Festival Inclusif”, other partners also contributed, for example the president of the Nigerien’s National Union of the Blind (UNAN), the President of the National Association of Albinos in Niger (ANAN) and coordinator of the NGO Mieux Vivre avec le Handicap, a Voice empowerment grantee.

“We are no longer talking of rights for people with disabilities. The new approach is the participation of people with disabilities. That way it is more inclusive.”

Says Mr Naser president of the National Union of the Blind of Niger (UNAN).

The other two speakers enlightened us on the rights of persons with disabilities, the creation and application of the texts concerning them.