Amplifying voices of girls and women with disabilities project empowers women with disabilities with appropriate skills to identify and engage in viable self-help initiatives which can improve their lives. The project targets one hundred and twenty (120) rural women with disabilities in Arua districts. After successful completion of the project, these women and girls will;

• Be entrepreneurial leaders.
• Be able to advocate and lobby for reproductive health concerns.
• Champion for the inclusion of women with disabilities in community activities.

Boosted self-esteem and confidence boosts incomes of women and girls with disability 

Women and girls with disabilities are reporting remarkable changes they have made after attending the entrepreneurship skills capacity enhancement for women and girls with disability organised by e (ADBWA).  The ADBWA empowerment project was set up by the Community Based Organisation to improve conditions of the poor, rural women with disabilities through self-help initiatives.  The goal was to attain at least 70% of the women trained reporting improved living conditions. The project identified and built the capacity of 200 women and girls with disabilities (WGWD) on life skills, advocacy skills and knowledge of their rights in order to create awareness among the selected communities. It also strengthened the institutional capacity of ADBWA to amplify the voices of WGWD.  The story of Molly Drafeyo and Loise Matiuru echoes the voices of many other women and speaks of the success of this project 

Molly Drafeyo is a visually impaired girl who sells fish in Oli market.   She confesses that the self-esteem of majority of the girls and women who have undergone the training run by the programme has greatly improved.  This is because they now have the ability to raise their own income without begging. 

 “The girls and women are always very happy to share testimonies of how Voice has impacted their lives,” said the confident and jolly Molly. She went further to share her accomplishments. “I have overcome self-pity and low self-esteem. I run my business well and I challenge the young boys who sell near me in the market’. 

 Loise Matiuru is a 26 years old visually impaired right holder from Vuvura sub county, Arua district.  She was raised by her grandmother after her fathers’ demise when she was only three weeks old.  When she turned 3 years she got blind.  When she attained 7 years old she was enrolled at Ediofe primary school that offers special needs inclusive education. Upon reporting she faced a myriad of challenges, “It was a challenging situation to my life with this new environment, because no much attention was given to me. At school I was left to find my own way. I later appreciated that it was good training for me to stand on my own. I learnt to help myself out with less support from family and friends”. Loise finally completed primary school in 2005 and scored a super 2nd grade in her Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE). Just as she was joining O’ level studies at Mvara Secondary School, she suffered another setback. Her Grandmother who had been her only support died.  However, Lady luck smiled at her and she was selected for an education sponsorship by the Uganda Society for the Disabled.   Ezaru Nathalie, her classmate and who is also blind, was similarly awarded together with her classmate. She went on to complete her O’ levels and proceeded to join Nsamizi Institute which is a special university campus for students with special needs.  Here she studied Diploma in Social Work and Social Administration. Again she worked hard and completed the course with a 2nd upper in 2016.  

Her life would never be the same again.  When she returned home in Arua she was identified by ADBWA with support from Oxfam/Voice as a community resource. She received counseling which opened her up to living a hopeful life. She has since then undertaken a lot of trainings on leadership and entrepreneurship and other areas such as reproductive health and regular mentorship and coaching on how to manage her small business. The training has been a great opportunity and has changed her whole life. She has started a small business of selling fried groundnuts and dealing in second-hand shoes.  She is now well aware of how to manage her small business. Louise has also learnt how to manage her savings and finances with the SACCO and this has enabled her to have enough capital to sustain her business. She hopes to grow it into a bigger enterprise and earn big profits. In addition, she has acquired knowledge and skills on HIV/AIDS prevention and feels empowered to protect herself from high risk behavior and infections.   

Loise has also received training in leadership. “I can chair meetings, make decisions and supervise others; and, I have got skills to sensitize my blind friends and the public about hard work, and help them to identify potential opportunities to work instead of begging”.  

However, challenges also present themselves. “Blind women face many challenges such as discrimination in the community, theft of our properties and difficulties in movement. Transport is expensive because we use ‘boda-bodas’ (motorcycles) for easy movement to our different destinations”, she observed. Loise looks forward to a bright future and looks forward to starting a family, getting children and acquiring her own piece of land on which to build a house.  She is also looking out for opportunities to upgrade her level of education. She feels very confident and can do everything now. 

The organisation has empowered girls and women with disabilities to stand up and demand for their rights. The Leadership and entrepreneurship training, regular mentorship and coaching have restored hope in women and girls with disabilities. Many are now working hard to grow their businesses and look forward to getting married and having children. Leaders too now appreciate the challenges women with visual impairment experience.  They have therefore employed affirmative action in ensuring equitable access to government programmes and services.  The Arua District Chief Administrative Officer wrote a letter to the Production Departments to ensure that girls and women with disabilities benefit from materials distributed by operation Wealth Creation in Aroi Sub-County. Subsequently, the women have benefited from support to start goat and pig rearing, craft making, maize growing and petty trade. After training of Social Development workers, the Medical Superintendent of Arua Regional Referral Hospital committed to offering women with disabilities, seeking health care services special consideration. 

To date, 20 women with disabilities have visited the center and have benefited from family planning services and HIV testing and counseling. Arua District Blind Association is now a member of Arua District NGO Forum. This has provided an additional platform to amplify the Voices of women with disabilities and to lobby for additional support from other implementing organisations. The organisation has supported women to form groups that are in their final stages of registration at sub county level with an aim of being in a position to benefit from government programs such as; Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Program, Youth Livelihood Program and Disability grant. Post Bank Arua Branch is now offering friendly banking services to the women and girls with disabilities after engagement and advocacy by the organisation.