Jaipur Limb Campaign

Project title: TWENDI (Let’s go, together)

Partner: Liga de Apoio a Reinsercao dos Deficientes (LARDEF) - League for the Integration of Disabled People

Duration 3 Years, 2003-2006

Country: Angola

We began working with LARDEF, an Angolan Disabled Peoples Organisation (DPO) in 2001. Their vision to end poverty and help disabled people live, work and learn as equal members of society was the basis on which our partnership developed.

Our partnership began with a project called ‘Dignidade’ that provided training and jobs for disabled people. We have continued working to build LARDEF as a strong and effective organisation that can deliver livelihood opportunities; represent all disabled people in Angola; influence policy makers; and ensure disabled people’s participation in mainstream economic and social activity.

Most of LARDEF’s members are internally displaced people – men, women and children with disabilities forced to leave their homes to flee the war. Landmine survivors and disabled ex-soldiers travelled to find treatment in big cities like Luanda: others took refuge wherever it seemed safe. The conflict ended more than 2 years ago and many people are returning home. But they return to lands that are mined and to homes and communities that are destroyed.

With Baring Foundation support we have developed Twendi (Let’s go, together) to support displaced disabled people and their families to rebuild livelihoods and communities in the new places where they have settled, or when they return home. Disabled people often find that they are ‘invisible’ when it comes to mainstream government development programmes.

The main objectives of Twendi are organisational capacity building for LARDEF and socio- economic support for disabled and displaced people. This includes capacity building for advocacy work and advocacy activities at national level and practical support at grassroots level.

Twendi builds on the mainstream initiatives of international organisations and Angolan government to address the needs of displaced people. Twendi staff will ensure that internally displaced people with disabilities and their families are not excluded from these development programmes that create employment and regular income. They will also collaborate with other initiatives, such as landmine awareness programmes to make sure that disabled returnees also know about the dangers. Project activities have started in Benguela Province and preparations for work in Moxico Province are underway.

Capacity building training is a key component of Twendi and JLC has organised two capacity building workshops. The first workshop was held over 5 days in August 2004 and we invited Development Initiatives and Services (DIS) and the Southern Africa Federation of Disabled People (SAFOD) as trainers and facilitators. The second workshop is planned for April 2005. This was the first opportunity for LARDEF and other Angolan DPOs who participated to connect with the wider disability movement in the region. Workshop themes include the disability movement, role of DPOs, advocacy, governance, effective lobbying, the role of SAFOD, and the African Decade for Disabled People.

Over the next 2 years Twendi will consolidate the work started in Benguela Province and will initiate activities to support disabled displaced people in Moxico Province. Two further capacity building workshops will be organised to focus on advocacy, lobbying and women and disability.