SitiTalk Showcase: South Saharan Social Development Organization (SSDO)

Information and Image source: Copyright: South Saharan Social Development Organization

Income Generation for People Living with Disabilities

South Saharan Social Development Organization (SSDO) is a duly registered non-profit organization in Nigeria and which started in 2001, and is currently under the leadership of the Country Director of SSDO, Mrs Grace A. Nwobodo.

Recently, SSDO held a graduation ceremony of 100 physically challenged persons trained in mobile phone repairs (see a video clip below).

SSDO has a primary focus of equipping young women, youth and children with the social, health, economic, educational and political skills needed to survive and compete favorably in a vastly changing and urbanizing sub Saharan Africa. SSDO is funded by reputable international organizations and their projects and programs include but are not limited to: Income Generation for People Living with Disabilities; “Ego Anyi” (Our Money): an Information and Discussion Program on Budget Public Enlightenment; Reintegration of Vulnerable Children and Young Migrants on the Move; Radio School Empowering Adolescent Girls and Boys through the Power of the Radio; “The Awakening” Radio Program, a youth focused radio civic enlightenment program aimed at enlightening young people in the South East on good governance, democratic principles, civic participation and active citizenship; and Tuberculosis (TB) Community Sensitization, and many more.

SSDO noted that “according to statistics of United Nations, over 20 million Nigerians are Persons with Disabilities (PWD). Of this number over 70% are without gainful employment according to the Federal Office of Statistics, Nigeria. The international and local civil society organizations assess that people with disabilities are mainly stuck in squalor and face inequalities in access to education, healthcare, employment and social and community participation. In Nigeria, more than 80 percent of people with disabilities live in low and middle income parts of the society. Many make a living from begging on the streets or support from family members.”

Under SSDO’s program focused on income generation for people living with disabilities, SSDO partnered with Oxfam Novib and CAFÉ [with local collaborations which includes non-monetary contributions from the Office of the wife of the governor of Anambra State, Nigeria (Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano)], to train and graduate 50 physically challenged persons in mobile phone repairs in the State. The South Saharan Africa Social Development Organization (SSDO) has graduated 50 persons with disability after a three-month free Mobile Phone Repair and software installation Training at Umuleri, Anambra East Local Government Area. Previously, SSDO trained and graduated 100 physically challenged persons in Enugu State, Nigeria, also in mobile phone repairs. Each of the graduates received a laptop, repair kits and seed fund to enable them support their business and eke out a living.

Country Director, Mrs Nwobodo emphasized that in Nigeria 80 percent of the persons with disabilities live in extremely low income parts of the society and make a living from begging on the streets or receive very limited support from family members. She noted that the SSDO program has clearly demonstrated that the many challenges faced by PWDs can be addressed through employment and income generation, and that if empowered, the beneficiaries can live full productive lives and for the overall benefit of the society.

Original source story from: South Saharan Social Development Organization (SSDO)

For more information about SSDO, visit www.southsaharan.org