To Address The Needs Of The Blind
PHOTO: (L-R) CAB Pres Beya Kota and UNDP Country Rep. Stephen Rodriquez
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The Christian Association of the Blind (CAB) has appealed to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to assist with the institutional capacity building of the organization to operate on a wider scale in addressing the needs of its member across the country.
The association’s President, Beyan Kota said CAB anticipates the continuation of UNDP’s funded program to enable it revamp the poultry project and concentrate on its operation of marketing chicken and eggs as income generation for organizational sustainability.
Mr. Kota made the appeal when the UNDP Country Representative, Stephen Rodriquez recently paid an official visit to the CAB Resource Center in R-Two located on the Monrovia-Robertsfield highway.
Mr. Kota added that the organization solicits the UNDP’s funding support to enable them continue the construction of a concrete fence around the parameter of the Association to ensure protection of the facility.
He also appealed for the provision of technological materials and equipment to improve skill of empowerment and development opportunities for the blind at the CAB Center.
According to Mr. Kota, the visit of the UNDP’s Country Representative is historic because the CAB, which has about over 4,500 members with chapters in ten of the 15 sub-political divisions in Liberia, is the biggest of organization of people with the blind.
Some of the students at CAB Resource Center at the program
The association, founded a little over 35 years ago, was established to build the capacity of blind people and also affiliates with several international organizations of the blind including the African Union of the Blind, the World Blind Union and other agencies.
Kota described the visit of the UNDP Country Representative as a historic day because it marked the rebirth of the relation between the CAB and UNDP.
“We hope and trust that what we begin here today will extend to include other activities especially to make meaningful impact with respect to education and building the capacity of the blind people in Liberia,” he said; adding: “ the UNDP initially provided funding for the established of the law which eventually established the National Commission on Disability.”
“With your support, that law provides in one of its sessions that make it mandatory for three seats for people with disabilities but since then it has been ignored.”
Meanwhile, the UNDP Country Representative accredited to Liberia, Stephen Rodriquez, assured his institution’s commitment to support major programs of the Christian Association of the Blind.
Other international guests at the program
Stephen Rodriquez, however, vowed to serve as ambassador to attract partners to get involved with activities of the organization, encouraging members to be more focused in achieving their desired goals.
“Our interest is not just to support agricultural activities for the blind,” he went on, “we are also interested in making sure that people with disabilities benefit, participate and cover all aspects of life in Liberia.”
On the elections, he said UNDP biggest portion of the program is to support people with disabilities to make sure that they participate and vote in the elections.
According to him, the UNDP is also working with the National Commission on Disabilities and the government to make sure that they widen access to services for people with disabilities.
“We do not want look at it as a single project that we want to do with one segment, but we want to look at it by creating a movement around all over Liberia where the government, the civil society organizations , partners and the citizens see the value and importance of people with disabilities and help to create opportunities for them because they are not less human beings than others,” the UNDP Country Representative added.