Health
Disability & inclusion
Emergency response
Within the three areas, we are giving priority to the following:
Health and Mental Health
in 1998 we launched Liberia’s first Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) program, in partnership with a local NGO, the Ministry of Health, the National Commission on Disability (NCD) and other government authorities and from 2011 to 2014 we contributed implementing WHO Mental Health Gap Action Program strategy aimed at reducing ill health caused by mental, neurological and substance use disorders. Most recently, in Nimba county, we are implementing a small pilot initiative promoting the inclusion of people with mental illness in DPOs’ and community life. Mental health is one of the areas of health and social care that is particularly suffering lack of funding and we intend continue working in this area by gauging donors’ interest in promoting initiatives on mental health, leprosy and NTDs in the country.
Sexual and Reproductive health rights (SRHRs),
which include the right to decide if and how many children to have, the right to live free from disease and the right to access confidential health services — are fundamental to economic empowerment, particularly for women with disabilities who are at the core of this strategy. We intend to partner with organizations involved in the promotion of SRHRs to ensure that women with disabilities have improved knowledge and access to Sexual Reproductive and Health Rights and services, as a mean to increase their access to employment opportunities.
Assistive Technology
We want to build on the momentum generated by the Assistive Technology capacity assessment and Country Investment Fund sponsored by the Global Disability Innovation Hub through the Clinton Health Access Initiative, WHO and the MOH and supporting them in formulating and delivering on a national plan of action.
Capacity Building
of local DPOs, SHGs, Start-ups, NUOD and PWDs especially on human rights issues, business development, tactics for advocacy and organizational management is one of our core expertise. Our capacity-building approach, that focuses on the delivery of technical trainings for skills’ building, coaching support, as well as networking, has proven effective over the years, with some of our key partners achieving important results, including financial sustainability or national visibility and recognition. We intend to expand our range of strategies for capacity building, exploring options for coaching and mentoring, on the job training, internships and apprenticeship schemes.
Awareness creation
with partners’ institutions and the Alliance on Disability to promote the adoption of the CRPD in Liberia has been a long lasting objective of AIFO Liberia. We have been advocating for the rights of PWDs to vote, to be captured on national censuses on an equal basis to others, to work and access business opportunities, and to be treated fairly when in employment. We have advocated for their rights when undergoing trial and for their reasonable accommodation in prison. We intend to continue advocating to improve PWDs access to Sexual and Reproductive Health service and to Assistive Technology as a mean to also achieve their full economic independence.
Technical & Vocational Education and Training
of local DPOs, SHGs, Start-ups, NUOD and PWDs especially on human rights issues, business development, tactics for advocacy and organizational management is one of our core expertise. Our capacity-building approach, that focuses on the delivery of technical trainings for skills’ building, coaching support, as well as networking, has proven effective over the years, with some of our key partners achieving important results, including financial sustainability or national visibility and recognition. We intend to expand our range of strategies for capacity building, exploring options for coaching and mentoring, on the job training, internships and apprenticeship schemes.
Economic empowerment and access to economic rights
has been one of our key focus in the past three years. We have established an earmarked fund for PWDs and organized business development services to PWDs’ start-ups and we have been working with the Tripartite Alliance and the ILO for the implementation of a road map of action for decent work of PWDs. We intend to regularly monitor and evaluate the progresses made by the start-ups we fund and identify a suitable local institution to whom transfer management competencies for the earmarked fund for PwDs. We intend consolidating our collaboration with the ILO, the government, private sector and trade unions in the provision of a decent work act for people with disabilities.
Advocacy
We aim at placing greater attention to disability mainstreaming across all partner institutions and government authorities we collaborate with. This would take the form of training and sensitization sessions to partner organizations’ staff members through our Disability Ambassadors and accessibility audits to establish buildings’ accessibility and AT needs
Emergency Response
With experience setting up emergency response to health crisis in the country (2015-16, Ebola Virus Disease; 2020-21, coronavirus (COVID-19), we intend to continue ensuring prompt and contingent emergency response to ensure inclusiveness of persons with disabilities.