The Socio Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SEEPD) program has provided guidance to the executive of the Coordinating Unit of the Associations of Persons with Disabilities (CUAPD) in the North West Region on the strategic direction the Unit should take for the next 5 years.
This guidance was provided in a meeting planned and chaired by the SEEPD program Manager, Mr. Awa Jacques Chirac on April 3, 2021 in the SEEPD program Office in Bamenda. The Board Chairperson and Coordinator of the CUAPD, Armelle Nogning and Chick Sama respectively and some SEEPD program staff attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the Coordinator of the CUAPD gave updates on CUAPDs 2020 achievements including the reorganization of the Organisations of Persons with Disabilities landscape, COVID 19 sensitization activities, and the green grant (tree planting project). Mr. Sama revealed that the project funders are now interested in seeing disability inclusion reflected in the project which was traditionally focused only on environmental protection.
They agreed that the strategic direction of the CUAPD for 2021 should focus on development of a website for the Unit, capacity development of the Unit’s executive, needs assessment of persons with disabilities in targeted municipalities to foster Community Based Inclusion Development (CBID) and advocacy. The Chairperson noted that the Unit should prioritize planning of these activities promising them that the program will make relevant input where needs arise, a promise that was gladly received by the CUAPD team.
Mr. Awa Jacques Chirac also disclosed that the SEEPD program has the Inclusive Eye Health and the Inclusive Humanitarian Projects which the CUAPD will be involved in. He encouraged that the CUAPD develops and implement a communication strategy to give more visibility to the activities of the Unit.
At the end of the meeting, the CUAPD Board Chairperson expressed gratitude to the SEEPD program for the support they have been offering the Unit and for such an important meeting to map out the key activities.