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Training of Initiators for Self-help Groups of Persons with Disabilities towards Rights-based and Sustainable Community Development

APCD conducted Training of Initiators for Self-help Groups of Persons with Disabilities (SHG of PWD) towards Rights-based and Sustainable Community Development from 9-31 August 2005 for 22 trainees from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Viet Nam and Thailand and one observer from Bangladesh.

Mr.Balakrishana Venkatesh (Venky) was the key resource person among 6 resource persons who came from India, Japan and Thailand; Mr.Cheng Chandy, a participant of last year's training course was an assistant resource person.

The main objectives were to enhance the trainees' attitudes and be committed to SHG of PWD; to learn the concepts, roles, and functions of SHG of PWD as well as relevant issues, and to equip the trainees with essential skills to initiate and strengthen SHG of PWD.

Participants could learn many things in 3 weeks through a participatory approach. The curriculum module of the training was divided into the following:

1. Main concepts addressed included SHG of PWD, Independent Living, the Evolution of the Disability Movement in Asia and globally, Disability and Development, Poverty and Disability, doing a Community Study, Case Study, and Group Building. Field Work was also included in order to enhance the skills of working on a Case Study. This involved visiting a PWD and his/her family 2 times for the purpose of learning how to work with persons with a disability at the grass root level.
2. Skills to initiate and strengthen SHG included sessions on Participatory Project Management, Writing a Project Proposal, Income Generation, the Training Process, Facilitation and Presentation Skills with a practice period and Fund Raising. The first field visit was related to Participatory Project Management.
3. Action Plan Formulation and Presentation. Trainees made and presented their individual action plans as well as group action plans. Participants from the same organization in the same country made one group action plan.

The trainees' evaluation and discussion among Resource Persons and APCD staff show the following positive aspects:

1. The contents of the training focused on intensive knowledge, skills and attitudes for initiating and strengthening self-help groups of PWDs at the grass root level, and included the concept of an integrated disability movement in development work and ideas to empower SHG with cross disabilities rather than a single disability group.
2. Provision of training sessions for the trainees to develop essential skills and confidence to work with SHG in their communities.
3. Trainees could share their learning outcomes throughout the training. This was one way to help trainees follow the lessons and contents through discussion in their groups.

Limitations for running this course were language and communication. The training was conducted in English but half of the trainees needed interpreters to help them communicate in their native language.

We believe that all of the trainees will apply what they have learned here to their existing activities to be effective trainers of SHG.