Training to Strengthen Community-based Rehabilitation through a Participatory Comprehensive Approach
Experience Sharing During the Field Visit
APCD conducted the "Training to Strengthen Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) through a Participatory Comprehensive Approach" from 20 October - 9 November 2004 in Khon Kaen, northeastern Thailand.
Three primary agreed upon concepts and principles, participatory approach, experience sharing and, practicability became the foundation for this training.
This training course follows APCD's first workshop, "Workshop for Strengthening Community-based Rehabilitation Movement" held in Chiang Mai, from 3-12 June 2003.
Sixteen participants came from 3 cities in 3 countries: Vientiane in Laos, Danang in Viet Nam and Khon Kaen in Thailand. Five observers came from Myanmar and Japan. The five resource persons who facilitated the learning process were Ms. Yukiko Nakanishi from Japan, Dr. Padmani Mendis from Sri Lanka, Mr. Aluganti Prasad from India, Mr. Noman Khan from Bangladesh and Mr. Verachai Verachantachart from Thailand.
Activities during the Training
In a friendly supportive atmosphere, groups of participants took turns giving 30 minute overviews of the previous day's learning each morning; at the end of each day's program, each country team met to review and share what they had learned that day.
The participants' evaluation forms indicated that the workshop was helpful and they expressed confidence in applying their learning to develop and strengthen their CBR through a participatory comprehensive approach. The evaluation of the APCD HRD team and resource persons also showed satisfaction based on observation and the participants' interaction, evaluation forms as well as the individual and country plans of action.
The APCD HRD team also plans to visit the participants in Vientiane, Danang and Khon Kaen this year to follow up, monitor and support them.
One key point everyone came to believe was, CBR can be strengthened and succeed with good collaboration and networking by approaching and working through partnerships with different sectors at all levels.
Diagram of networks, collaboration and working through partnerships approach
The 4 main modules of the training included the following contents:
- Basic concepts and information about disability and development
- understanding of disability
- evolution of PWDs movement
- Biwako Millennium Framework
- participatory community development
- disability and development
- CBR (community-based rehabilitation)
- SHG (self help groups)
- IL (independent living)
- Experience/case studies; sharing of CBR implementation and related activities
- country reports
- CBR experiences in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand
- inclusive education
- disability awareness raising
- working through networking and civil society
In this module, we also conducted a field visit to learn about the CBR project and SHG activities in Mahasarakham and Roi-et Province (neighboring province of Khon Kaen).
- Skills needed to develop and strengthen CBR projects
- participatory project management
- participatory training process
- facilitating and presentation skills
- fund raising
- income generation
The field visit was organized so the participants could see and learn from some organizations in Khon Kaen and Nakorn Ratchasima province.
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Action Plan
The participants presented their individual and country-action plans by incorporating all they learned from this workshop to formulate an effective action plan.
Highlighting Comments from Resource Persons
- Dr. Padmani Mendis
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Dr. Padmani Mendis
One of the weaknesses of CBR programmes generally is the inadequate participation of people who have a disability in its management. By taking an active decision-making role in the planning and monitoring of CBR, people with disabilities can direct programme development most relevant to them and their needs. One of the major reasons for the lack of participation of people who have disability is, I believe, the fact they do not know CBR offers them the opportunity for empowerment. They do not know as yet how CBR offers them a vehicle for accessing their rights including alleviation from poverty and inclusion in mainstream development. The participation of more people with disabilities in this year's course was cause for some satisfaction.
- Ms. Yukiko Nakanishi
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Ms. Yukiko Nakanishi
CBR has been viewed as an effective strategy for rehabilitation, equalization of opportunities, social integration, and ultimately empowerment of persons with disabilities. APCD, therefore, emphasized the participatory comprehensive approach. During the course, the trainees were divided into groups and given different duties every day. These methods worked effectively, and encouraged them to speak out freely. It seemed that trainees with disabilities were fully integrated in the course in an accessible environment. It was appreciated that APCD became more conscious of the inclusion of persons with disabilities representing self-help groups of disabled persons at the grass-roots level in the course than last year. The number of trainees with disabilities increased. Their difficulty to communicate in English was covered by the inclusion of an interpreter among the trainees from each country. Although they were not professional, their knowledge and experience in the disability field made themaccomplish the task to a satisfactory degree.
- Mr. Verachai Verachantachart
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Mr. Verachai Verachantachart
After reviewing the evaluation of the CBR training in Khon Kaen last November, I concluded:
- Participants need more time for the practical skills such as writing their project proposals as well as fund-raising, analysis, etc.
- The resource persons did well in transferring their knowledge and skills regarding the process, techniques, and tools. Field visits were scheduled appropriately.
- The friendly accepting atmosphere was conductive to learning and sharing, helping to overcome the interpreting of different languages.
- Participants have other factors affecting the implementation of their CBR activities in their respective countries that will impact the level of success. APCD needs to design tools to also conscientiously follow-up the implementation of CBR at the grass-roots level in the target areas.
- Mr. Noman Khan
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Mr. Noman Khan
In recent years, the philosophy of CBR practices in some countries have made remarkable changes and become customized based on the situation and practicability of the concerned countries, reflecting more effective and contributive services, addressing the needs of persons with disabilities in the region.
APCD has undertaken a noble initiative to support this transition process to make CBR initiatives in the region more effective and efficient with the ultimate benefits reaching PWDs, especially in the developing countries. The training courses offered by APCD for disability program managers and practitioners from the countries of the region at Government and Non-government sectors has created a scope of wider sharing of CBR conceptual aspects along with good practice. The contents of the course covered chronological areas of learning relevant to the current requirements to popularize CBR and ensure its effective implementation. The involvement of resource persons with different expertise and contextual scenarios has allowed the participants to be exposed to a wider range of knowledge and experience. It has also benefited the resource persons as much as the participants of the course. The participatory approaches of learning in the course along with a variety of methodologies with strong discipline and ongoing follow-up were some of the significant strengths of the course. As the demand for the course is increasing in the region and as it has proven to boost CBR initiatives, it is now time for APCD to consider opening the course to a larger number of participants. A decentralized approach to the training could be considered. Partnerships with other training organizations in the regions could be an option. The same training course could be offered by these training organizations in partnership with APCD. This would enable more participants to participate, reduce the cost and a larger number of resource persons could be developed in the region.
