Disability Training of Trainers Participants with International Inclusive Sign
Yangon, Myanmar (20 May 2015) - AZEECON members received a week Disability Training of Trainers (ToT) in Yangon, Myanmar from 11 to 16 May 2015. It is a series of training and two times were completed; first in Indonesia and second in Laos. Two resource persons were Ms. Lauren Kathage, Program Officer from Australian Lutheran World Service and Ms. Briana Ruth Wilson, Technical Advisor from CBM Australia. Altogether 24 participants were from seven AZEECON member countries; RDRS Bangladesh, LWD Cambodia, LWS India Trust, CDRM & CDS Indonesia, Laos, LWF Myanmar and LWF Nepal.
Training was funded by Australian Lutheran World Service and Australian Aid and jointly implemented by AZEECON and LWF Myanmar in collaboration with Myanmar Independent Living Initiative (MILI) organization. It aims to understand key messages of Disability Inclusive development and how to raise awareness about them, understand key principles and actions for implementing Disability Inclusive Development and how to implement these within the project management cycle and applying this understanding to own work context.
Interactive Panel Discussion
Training program included half-day field visit to MILI to understand the disability inclusive development work of its organization, context of inclusion in Myanmar and share their knowledge of disability inclusive knowledge to MILI.
To learn from the experiences of PwD, interactive panel discussion was conducted in the middle of the training program. Three guest speakers; Ms. Nge Nge Aye Maung from Association of Myanmar Disabled Women Affairs (AMDWA), Mr. Aung Ko and Mr. Saw Winter Loo from Myanmar Independent Living Initiative (MILI) organization explained context of disability inclusive development in Myanmar and shared their experiences.
Mr. Nelson Sinaga from CDRM & CDS Indonesia
Mr. Nelson Sinaga, Program Manager of CDRM & CDS Indonesia said that he enjoyed learning from peers “Inputs from other participants from different countries benefitted us because we got inspirations from them. We will share our training knowledge to our team in respective project areas. We will create some activities related to disability inclusion. Not new activities; we will bring this issue to discuss with community how we should include disability in our existing program.”
He continued sharing his field visit experience "The field visit to MILI is very useful. MILI gives us much information about disability inclusion in Myanmar context. Their experiences motivate us to create our activities in our country like advocacy. The director of MILI gave us very useful feedback about wheelchair support to PwD. He suggested providing suitable wheelchair according to the body size and height of PwD for their mobility. We will continue giving much effective supports to PwD. So far, we have no disabled staff in our program but we will start giving job opportunities for PwD in the future because it is already mentioned in our Human Resources Policy.”
Ms. Jharna Sinha from LWS India Trust
Another participant from LWS India Trust (LWSIT), Ms. Jharna Sinha working as Senior Community Officer explained disability situation in her country. “We will try to have more participation from public for PwD related activities. In community level, PwD do not know their rights. Family also ignores them. LWSIT program is mainstreaming problems of PwD and situation to the communities; meanwhile, mobilizing rights based approach for government authorities.”
She said that training was very interesting and useful for participants. “The twin track approach is a new learning for me. If we don’t include both PwD and non-PwD in our activities, there will be a gap. Thus, we have to target both.PwD are neglected from people and sometimes, even from our program. Some rehabilitation activities are targeted for PwD who came to us. Those who did not come; we did not see them and feel them. But now, we have to include them. This is one of the responsibilities for us.”
Ms. Naing Soe Aye working in the emergency response program of LWF Myanmar as a Camp Coordination and Camp
Ms. Naing Soe Aye from LWF Myanmar
Management (CCCM Officer) in Rakhine State shared her action plans for PwD. “Currently, we are doing community need assessment for PwD in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP camps) in our project area. Through this training, I realize how we can add disability inclusive activities in Community Service program. In the same time, I am also worried that my organization cannot fulfill all gaps as needs are everywhere. For example, special education for PwD, providing wheelchairs for PwD, how they will use wheelchairs inside IDP camps and so on."
On the last day, participants implemented Disability Inclusive Development action plan for their specific country program.
By: Ms. Thu Thu San, Communications Officer, LWF Myanmar
