Innovative Practice 2017 on Employment, Work and Vocational Education and Training
Jobs for the most marginalised people with disabilities
| Name of Innovative Practice: | Jobs for the most marginalised people with disabilities |
|---|---|
| Organisation: | Sightsavers – Project Connecting the Dots |
| Country of Implementation | United Kingdom and Uganda |
PROBLEMS TARGETED
Most young people in Uganda are ill equipped to enter the workforce. Hence, young women and men with disabilities are further disadvantaged due to lack of accessibility and appropriate skills training.
SOLUTION & METHODOLOGY
The project identifies unemployed young men and women with disabilities in rural districts of Uganda. These young people are from the poorest margins of society and are often illiterate. The project focuses on three main areas:
- It supports access to employment through targeted skills development, promoting accessible vocational training institutions and mentorship
- It organizes interventions and responds to the specific needs and interests of the participants
- For those with severe mobility challenges, they and their families are supported with home-based enterprises
Upon graduation, participants receive a start-up kit and mentorship from a local role model. Women’s equitable access is facilitated through targeted support. Most of the young people are self-employed, doing knitting, mechanics, bricklaying, sewing, etc. Some, however, find jobs with local employers, such as in motor garages, carpentry/welding workshops, and barbershops/ salons.
OUTLOOK & TRANSFERABILITY
“Connecting the Dots” has a cost of approximately US$163,000 per year and is funded by the European Commission. The National Union of Disabled Persons in Uganda, one of Sightsavers’ partners, successfully replicated the project in four additional districts in the country.
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