Donate to Help Us Fight Coronavirus Among Persons with Disabilities in Southern Africa

SAFOD has developed a regional response strategy – available for downloading here – which proposes a list of interventions targeting persons with disabilities and their carers through our national affiliates who constitute federations of Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs).

So far, we have already organized a virtual capacity building training / workshop on COVID-19 for our national affiliates. Award winning disability activist, Malebogo Molefhe, facilitated the virtual Training Workshop that brought together representatives of Disabled People Organizations (DPOs) affiliated to SAFOD through their national federations.

To continue improving the response strategy, we have been conducting an online survey. The public cab view latest survey responses here.

We are also running a competition for Artists and craftspeople with disabilities to highlight their artistic work on COVID-19.

The main long-term goal is to reduce infection and increase impact of COVID-19 responses among persons with disabilities, through supporting SAFOD’s affiliates and key stakeholders at national levels in the development of effective and inclusive national response strategies.

This will lead to sustainable and increased access to quality health services related to COVID-19 by Persons with Disabilities. Part of this work will, therefore, involve capacitating local DPOs in Botswana so that they can effectively advocate for increased inclusion, for which funding is being specifically sought from the Commonwealth Foundation.

Summary Description

Strategic Goal:

The main goal of this regional response strategy to support SAFOD affiliates and key stakeholders at national levels in the development of effective and inclusive national response strategies that are focused on reducing infection and impact of COVID-19 among persons with disabilities in Southern Africa.

Strategic Objectives:

1. To generate and utilize already existing knowledge, evidence and data from research studies, case studies (good practices), etc. related to inclusive responses against COVID-19 for purposes of documentation, shared learning, disability programming, monitoring and evaluation.
2. To engage and influence SADC and its member states to develop/integrate disability inclusive national response plans on COVID-19.
3. To increase the capacity of SAFOD’s national affiliate federations of DPOs in ensuring their effectiveness and sustainability in promoting and securing implementation of inclusive interventions on COVID-19.
4. To increase awareness through sensitization and capacity building of DPOs, SADC, Government Departments, Development partners, Civil Society Organisations, Private Sector and the media on inclusive plans, programs and interventions that address COVID-19 and related issues concerning persons with disabilities.
5. To advocate for mainstreaming of disability into health services and programs ensuring increased access to quality health services related to COVID-19 by Persons with Disabilities.

For more information about the program, please click here