Capacity building training for organizations of persons with disabilities and community leaders

The advocacy training aimed at building the capacity of 53 participants, representing organizations for people with disabilities working at local and regional levels in how to advocate for the rights of people living with disabilities within local, regional, or national government institutions. The training was held in Lubumbashi, on 05-16 August 2020.

Organizations for people with disabilities have the potential to be key players in advocating for human rights of the people with disabilities, including the right to access basic and inclusive educational opportunities. However, they lack the ability and resources required to carry out advocacy initiatives that adequately respond to learning and educational access needs. Furthermore, their lack of coordination at the local and regional levels is an impediment to achieving their goals. The EEF’s Capacity building training for organizations of persons with disabilities and community leaders is a response to this problem, Said Sifa Gorethy, Deputy Director, East Eagle Foundation.

Drawing on the United Nations Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities and other laws, the training was designed to provide participants with the necessary tools to utilize the CRPD and other legal instruments to increase understanding of disability rights in their local area and to use the new advocacy strategy to hold the state accountable for including people with disabilities in important government programs and in achieving the education for all goal.