Projects and Services

Cakaudrove Provincial Council promotes the inclusion of Persons with disabilities in  the Province

 

The Fiji Disabled People Association carried out a week long workshop at the Cakaudrove Provincial Office and the Yaroi Community Hall from the Monday 20^th to Friday 24^th June 2011.

 

Participants included leaders of Disabled Peoples Organisation from Cakaudrove, Bua and Macuata. The week long workshop included Building the Capacity of DPO’s, Awareness on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Disaster Inclusive Preparedness and Risk Reduction Management.

 

On Monday 27^th   to Wednesday 29^th of June, community awareness was conducted in three districts: Vaturova, Tukavesi and Saqani. The FDPA team which also consists of Psychiatric Survivors Association and Fiji Paralympic Committee was accompanied by the Roko Tui Cakaudrove, Ro Aca Mataitini, police and military officers.

 

Participants addressed the current traditional beliefs about persons with disabilities before looking at ways of including persons with disabilities at the family, village and community levels. This includes ensuring that the family homes, community hall and churches are accessible for all. In addition, ensuring that information about activities is communicated to everyone and having the right attitude towards persons with disabilities.

 

The Roko Tui Cakaudrove, Ro Aca Mataitini encouraged the community to respect the humanity of the person with disability. He also highlighted on the achievements of some of the persons with disabilities in the Province.

 

  Figure 2:  Meli Sakia and his wife Losena of Korotasere,pictured with Ro Aca Mataitini and Sam Vilisoni,President of FDPA.

 

Figures 2 and 3: Photos from Meli Sakia’s plantation and dalo being harvested from his farm.

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Conducting awareness and advocating on the abilities of persons with disabilities has been the work of the organisation for the past years. During this advocacy work, many local regional and international networks have been developed. This year the organisation was able to educate the wider community on rights of person with disability with support from the Disability Rights Funds.

Empowering the Community on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Leaders of Disabled Peoples Organization from Sigatoka, Nadi, Lautoka, Ba and Ra who took part in the workshop

Lautoka Hotel was the venue where leaders of Disabled People Organisation in the Western Division were gathered to learn about the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in May 2010.

For most of them, people with disabilities have been at the bottom end of the development plans of the villages and their community. The workshop provided them with the knowledge on the importance of respecting the humanity of person with a disability.

Working together with the Media in Promoting the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Media Organizations being educated on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The Disability Convention was signed by the Fiji Government on 2nd of June 2010. It was an opportune time to work together with the media in educating the community on the rights of persons with disability.

Media organisations like the Department of Information, Communications Fiji Ltd, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation and the Fiji Sun was part of this workshop. It was an opportunity to listen to persons with disabilities sharing their experience and also learning about media organizations.

Jill Makarita of Fiji Association for the Deaf, sharing her experiences to the participants at the Media Awareness Workshop