“Poverty and disability go hand in hand. The poverty rate for working-age people with disabilities is nearly two and a half times higher than that for people without disabilities” Rebecca Vallas[1]
According to the National Union of Disability Organizations in Rwanda[2], People living in poverty are more likely to develop a disability and people with disabilities are more likely to struggle to make the income they need. The number of persons with disabilities engaged in economic activities in Rwanda is 56%; this is much lower than that of the population without a disability (75%). The reasons for low economic activity are, in part, linked to issues of access to education. Additional barriers to employment include stigma and discrimination and a lack of accommodations to make workplaces accessible / inclusive. Public works programmes offered through VUP are often not accessible to persons with disabilities.
One of the approaches that Amizero y’Ubuzima Organization advances is to group parents of Children and youths with intellectual disabilities into self-help groups and later into income generating activities project cooperatives allowing them to tackle poverty by earning micro loans and support from both funding organizations and the government wherever possible. By 2019, 7 SHGs have been put into place with women who are predominant in number. The organization is supporting them with training in micro project management, saving and proposal writing. The next stage will be to accompany them to find funds which will supplement their little monthly contribution.