The Center for Disability and Rehabilitation Uganda (CDR) vision is to strive for “a society with disability inclusive environment that upholds the rights of children/ persons with special needs” CDR exists to promote disability rehabilitation and protection of children /persons with special needs through research, information sharing, advocacy, capacity building and direct service delivery using Community Based Rehabilitation and Home Based Care approaches. CDR seeks to increase access to opportunities for children/persons with special needs and their families, and strengthen community based monitoring and evaluation to improve service delivery and accountability. CDR supports over 2000 children annually in Central Uganda using community based rehabilitation, home based care/therapy, parents’ network initiative (parents’ connections, siblings connections and community connections).
Join us as we talk with Sarah Nampeera, a 29 years old Ugandan young woman who has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Adult and Community Development, obtained from a Ugandan public university known as Kyambogo University. Hear about a remarkable young woman who has worked with ordinary young people aged 12 -28 years of age in Eastern Uganda. For three and half years Sarah worked in many areas in order to serve children; entrepreneurship, how to create a sustainable livelihood, life skills, development of organizational management skills with Civil Society Organizations which are youth led as well as as sexual reproductive health. She worked for the charity British organization Restless Development (Uganda) first a volunteer for eight months then as an intern for two and half years.Sarah is currently working with Center for Disability and Rehabilitation, Uganda.
Sarah decided to work with children and young people with special needs because she had realized that in Uganda such categories of people are left behind in terms of early childhood development, education both formal and non-formal to support their independence during adulthood. At the center, she has initiated a jewelry project for girls with and without special needs so as to have income generating skills.
Sarah initiated Uganda sign language sessions for deaf and hard of hearing children and youth so that they may be able to communicate with their parents and siblings. She volunteers to train the general public to learn sign language to enable them to communicate with deaf people whom they may meet at their work places and in their communities.
Sarah hopes in the next five years to become a special needs consultant after her PHD in special needs who will be having a consultancy firm that handles issues on how to live & work persons with special needs & children while at work places, schools, companies, hotels, hospitals among others thus with the aim of promoting equal opportunities for all persons with special needs.