Some Liberians with hearing impairment have received training in hairdressing, tailoring, and barbering skills from the Association Friends of Raoul Follereau (AIFO).

The training, with financial support from the European Union (EU), was delivered through the organisation’s ‘Voices for Inclusion and Civil Society Empowerment’.

It is understood that AIFO collaborated with the National Union of Organisations of the Disabled (NUOD), Alliance for Disability International (ADI), Williet SafeHouse and Oscar Romero School of the Deaf to implement the project.

Development Diaries gathered that the training majorly focused on advocacy for inclusion of persons with disabilities, empowerment of people with disabilities, awareness for people with disabilities and the general public, and employability for deaf and hard-of-hearing persons.

According to the Borgen Project, PWDs tend to be marginalised, stigmatised and excluded from education, skills training and income-generating opportunities in Liberia.

‘The Voice Project is working precisely in the right direction of filling the gap for deaf people in Liberia’, FrontPage Africa quoted AIFO Liberia’s Country Director, Leonardo Volpetti, as saying.

‘That is making sure to bring these students closer to a brighter future that they deserve like everyone else. Starting with the young people who have been the protagonists of this project, Voice tries to broaden its boundaries and to reach also to families of these young people and the communities where they live’.

Development Diaries gathered that the 17 beneficiaries of the training had the opportunity to showcase their talent at their graduation ceremony.

One of the beneficiaries, Abraham Fofana, served as the master of ceremony for the entire programme, while the welcome remark was made by Garlikpa Moluwoi.

The Voice Project, which commenced in February 2021, is expected to come to an end in 2023.

Source: FrontPage Africa

Photo source: FrontPage Africa