Coming to voice in words and pictures!

21 January 2019

The Inclusion Innovation Indaba or I-Cube is the annual global gathering Voice organises as an integral part of our Linking and Learning. The second I-Cube brought together persons with albinism, elderly or rather senior citizens and persons with a psycho-social or intellectual disability, and Voice linking and learning facilitators to share experiences and learn about their own empowerment and processes of coming to voice.

What are key barriers to crack? What are things that help us most? And what components are essential for the process to be inclusive and empowering? These were the key questions grantees, their project partners and participants wrestled with, learning from and with each other for 2,5 days. On the 3rd day, they hosted a public event.

Day 1 of the I-Cube was amazing. Hivos East Africa as Voice’s host welcomed an incredible group of people. Senior women porters from Indonesia, with their first stamp in their first ever passport, an inspiring young man with Down Syndrome from Indonesia, a resilient mother from Tanzania and a strong father from Nigeria both who have children with autism, courageous people living with albinism from Uganda, Mali, Kenya and Tanzania and an incredibly high-spirited, wise and strong seasoned man who travelled over 13,000 miles from the Philippines to learn!

Facilitated by Fredrick Ouko, from Light for the World in Kenya, day one was all about doing a so-called Innovation lab, focusing on the importance of having a human-centred design approach towards creating programmes. There was dancing, brainstorming, presenting and more dancing!

See the photos below

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Led by Suki Wanza, a local Kenyan actress, the 2nd day of the Indaba saw incredible, powerful discussions emerging from the “unconference” sessions. Through linking and sharing of personal stories, participants dove deeper into the key questions and issues that the three groups deal with. It was eye-opening for the participants. Friendships were formed and solidarity began to grow within the participating groups

See more photos below!

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The 3rd day of the Indaba marked the end of an inspiring, emotional and thought-provoking learning experience. Led by Sitawa Namwalie, an award-winning Kenyan poet, the morning session was all about expression and the participants designed 2 skits, a poem, and a recital! In the afternoon they performed these at the public event and all got hearty applauses. The public event saw a de(ep)bate with representetatives from the 3 target groups who discussed issues around:

No health without mental health: #Letstalkmentalhealth

Power of parents of children with disabilities

Albinism, what it is, what it is not. Busting the myths! #BeautyBeyondTheSkin

Policy co-creation with the elderly: #Ageisjustanumber

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All photo credits go to Stephen Mdunga cc Lightbox studios