Agosto 2018

AIFO-Liberia Head Office
19 th Street, Beachside Sinkor, Monrovia
Press Statement (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)
Monrovia, July 24, 2018

The Italian Association Friends of Raoul Follereau, AIFO and partners will on Wednesday, July 25 launch a three-year (2018-2021) project titled: “Disability and Startup-Civil Society as Protagonist of Inclusive Development in Liberia”. The project is being led by AIFO and implemented along with the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled and the National Commission on Disabilities, in Liberia and the University of Florence and RIDS in Italy. The overall goal of the project is to strengthen the Liberian Civil Society with focus on Disabled People Organizations to contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth processes in Liberia. The project which is funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation with a One million and four hundred thousand-dollar grant is meant to enhance the capacity of Disabled People Organizations (DPOs) in economic sustainability, strategic planning, human rights, resource mobilization, and leadership skills, as well as foster inclusion of
persons with disabilities in national development agenda. The project will address organizational capacity building of disabled member organizations and administrative functions of the umbrella organization of people with disabilities, the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled, NUOD, in order to enhance its capacity to lead and coordinate a country-wide citizens’ actions for the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and other pro-disability policies and programmes in Liberia.
The project will be implemented in three counties of Liberia namely Bong, Nimba and Grand Gedeh and in the city of Monrovia. The project will work with county and national AIFO-Liberia.

Monrovia, 03 August 2018: Senior leaders from Nine Disabled People Organizations
(DPOs) and the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled (NUOD) gathered at a
workshop from July 23-25 at the Exceeding Hotel in Monrovia to discuss key issues
faced by Disabled People Organizations and the identification of different priorities and needs for income generation activities as part of the ongoing project titled: “Disability and Startup-Civil Society as Protagonist of Inclusive Development”(DASU) funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation – AICS (AID 11516).

The Nine DPOs and NUOD leaders were from Bong, Nimba, Grand Gedeh and
Monrovia. The DPOs included SAPRO, Group of 77, Christian Association of the Blind
and the Liberia National Association of the Blind in Bong County. Nimba Disabled
Community and Group of 77 in Nimba County, Grand Geeh Disabled Community in Grand Gedeh County and Cultivation for Users Hope and the Liberia National Association of the Deaf in Monrovia respectively.

July 25, 2018, Corina Hotel, 24th Street, Sinkor-Monrovia, Liberia
Representatives from the Government, Disabled People Organizations and CSOs
working on Inclusive Development, Distinguished Members of the Business
Community, Distinguished officials and staff of AIFO, NUOD, NCD, The Group
of 77 management, Fellow colleagues from the Development Community and
Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Members of the Media, Distinguished Ladies
and Gentlemen.
The office of the vice president is very happy to officially launch the project titled:
“Disability and Startup-Civil Society as Protagonist of Inclusive Development
in Liberia” funded by the Italian Agency for International Development. The
project addresses a concern which is so significant to me: to make sure people with
disabilities are fully included in economic life: that they can get a job, has dignity
in everything they do, and exercise their full rights as citizens. Too often they are
the poorest of the poor and the forgotten people.
Our office has started some efforts through the executive director of the Group of
77 Madam: Wayfa F. Ciapha by including all categories of disabilities for
employment.