MACOHA VS REHAB & VOCATIONAL TRAINING

Sedo talking to clients at Chezi Trading Centre in Dowa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24 year old Oswel Sedo has a physical disability that causes him to use a wheel chair for mobility.  Sedo was trained in Information and Computer Technology at MACOHA-LVTC. After his training with Lilongwe Vocation Training College (LVTC), he ventured into the business of software installation and video production which has made him independent and self-reliant.

Before going into vocation training, Sedo faced challenges in acquiring basic needs as well as support for his family. Based at Chezi trading centre in Dowa, Sedo presently earns K8000 per week and even more during market days. He now has plans of opening an internet café when he finds adequate capital.

Sedo is one of persons with disabilities that MACOHA has worked with. Through its rehabilitation services and vocation training, Malawi Council for the handicapped aims at training persons with disabilities in various fields to become self-reliant.

With institution based training, MACOHA has worked with persons with disabilities by providing them with vocation training and start up kits to establish themselves after they graduate.

KAMUZU VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION & TRAINING CENTRE

 

 

 

The Kamuzu Vocational Rehabilitation and Training Centre was established by MACOHA with financial and technical assistance from the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1983.

The centre was established to provide individualized vocational a...ssessment and training largely for self-employment for persons with disabilities and to upgrade vocational skills of persons with disabilities trained in the communities so that they could in turn serve us volunteer trainers at community level. The Act of Parliament Chapter 33.02 of 1971 mandates MACOHA to plan and implement rehabilitation program and services of which vocational skills training is a major component.

VISION

Malawi Council for the Handicapped has a vision of reaching all Persons with Disabilities.
Kamuzu Vocational Rehabilitation and Training Centre shares the vision and empower Persons with Disabilities in society through skills training as part of fulfillment of the vision.
The centre has a capacity to train 224 persons per year (Two intakes per year) in the following skill areas:-

1. Metal Work - Welding and Sheet Metal Work
2. Wood Work - Carpentry and Joinery
3. Domestic Skill - Fabric Painting, Machine Knitting, Cookery,
Nutrition and Hair Dressing.
4. Tailoring - Men’s Wear, Ladies Wear and Machine
Maintenance
5. Leather Craft - Shoe making and repairs
6. Secretarial
7. Agriculture - Vegetable Growing and Poultry Keeping.
8. Refrigeration

MISSION

The Centre is part and parcel of the mission to implement government policies by providing rehabilitation program and services and promote public interest (awareness) for the empowerment and integration of persons with disabilities in order to achieve an inclusive society.

Kamuzu Vocational Rehabilitation and training Centre partakes in this mission in an effort to equalize opportunities for persons with disabilities in the following key priority areas as enshrined in the National Policy on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities :-

1. Prevention, Early Identification and Intervention.
2. Rehabilitation (Medical, Educational, Vocational and Social).
3. Accessibility.
4. Information and Communication.
5. Education and Training.
6. Economic Empowerment.
7. Social Welfare and Social Protection.
8. Self-Representation and Participation.
9. Sports, Recreation and Entertainment.
10. Research and Appropriate Technology.
11. HIV /AIDS.

KEY STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

The Centre contributes to the efforts the government is making in implementation of the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy. The Centre contributes through the following thematic areas.

Theme 1: Sustainable Economic Growth

This is through Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disability by increasing their employability in self and open employment, in order for them to become independent and contribute to the socio-economic development of the nation.

Theme 2: Social Protection

This is done through improvements in socio-economic status of Persons with Disabilities.

Theme 3: Social Development

1. Education

By increasing Literacy rates among Persons with Disabilities through Literacy classes held at the centre, alongside vocational skills training.

2. Gender

This is done by increasing participation of females in vocational skills training.

The Centre therefore has strategic plan with the following key objectives :-

1. Empower Persons with Disabilities by making them aware and demand their rights.

2. Empower Persons with Disabilities through training, employment, provision of loans and grants in order to alleviate their poverty.

3. Enable Persons with Disabilities have access to information, buildings, infrastructure and services.

4. Provide employment in an accessible working environment thereby empowering Persons with Disabilities economically.

5. Increase and improve productivity through prevention of incidence of HIV/AIDS amongst Persons with Disabilities.