Christian Vocational Training Centre for the Disabled

Reaching a population of around 300,000, this programme provides essential support for people with disabilities.

The Centre provides a CBR programme that helps to equip disabled people with new income generating life skills. Photo: CBM.

In partnership with The Methodist Church, CBM involves representatives from all the protestant churches active in the area.

This project aims to empower and build the capacities of people with disabilities. A large part of this work is in raising awareness within the local communities to eradicate the marginalisation and discrimination that many disabled people face in their society. Services for people with disabilities include eye surgery, orthopaedic surgery and special education for the visually and hearing impaired. An orthopaedic workshop has recently been developed at the project.

The project runs a community-based rehabilitation (CBR) programme as well as an AIDS and HIV service and it has made considerable efforts to establish income-generating activities too. These include a bakery, a business centre, an optical shop and a carpentry workshop.

CBM covers the core costs of a CBR programme, supporting over 1,000 disabled people in the large rural area in Benue State, central Nigera. The essential work they undertake offers vital assistance to the disabled population through CBR with an aim to meet the basic needs of people with disabilities through access to community services and the provision of direct and appropriate rehabilitation services.

The CBR programme diagnoses and assesses people with disabilities. Fieldworkers work within local communities, providing support to people with disabilities and their families. Some conditions can be treated and cured, such as cataract blindness, while other conditions such as cerebral palsy require continual rehabilitation.