Disability inclusion consultant Maria Chale has commended the Norwegian and German governments for setting a higher standard for empowering persons with disabilities.
She was speaking during the graduation of 105 students in tailoring, fashion and designing at Malawi Council for Disability Affairs (Macoda) Bangwe Factory in Blantyre.
Chale said the support, which was channelled through German development agency GIZ, has addressed impediments that were previously not considered when developing training programmes for persons with disabilities.
She said: “Mostly programmes are designed with good intentions but fail to consider the practical human realities that persons with disabilities and women face.
“By addressing such barriers, GIZ has set standards for developing support for women and persons with disabilities in Malawi.”
The five-month training was funded by Norwegian and German governments through GIZ.
GIZ Employment Promotion for Women for the Green Transformation in Africa team leader Theresa Rooney said the training aims at increasing the employment opportunities for women, youths and persons with disabilities.
In his speech, Macoda director general Elias Hausi called upon youths with disabilities to register with the council to benefit from tailor-made opportunities.
One of the graduates, Kelvin Likwiya, said the training will open opportunities for economic empowerment.
The graduating class included 33 people with disabilities. The graduates were trained at Macoda’s Kamuzu Vocational Training and Rehabilitation Centre at Magomero in Chiradzulu and Bangwe Factory Tailoring School.
