Reduced disaster related vulnerabilities and increased coping capacity of Guni Mardi, a Person with Disability (PwD) at Rangeli of Morang
Ms. Guni Mardi, 35 occupants at Rangeli municipality-2 Laxmipur Tole of Morang district is a Person with Disability (PwD). She is unmarried and living with her family together with her mother, brother, sister in law and nephews. She has completed her School Level Certificate (SLC). Her physical disability, have caused serious impact on doing everyday routine. She is walking with the help of assistive device (Crutches). Particularly, accessibility, physical vulnerabilities, and livelihoods are the most pressing challenges faced by her in her daily life. As a result of this, she was not able to be lead a dignified life in the society.
While she was in major dilemma on what to do with her situation, Nepal Evangelical Lutheran Church / Lutheran Community Welfare Society (LCWS), an implementing partner of the Lutheran World Federation implemented the project titled as “Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DIDRR)” in Flood Prone Areas in Rangeli municipality of Morang district. The project aimed at contribute to “reduce disaster related vulnerabilities and increase coping capacity of persons with disabilities, and at risk communities.
Ms Guni says, “The attitude of society on the way to looking me has become positive now as it was negative in the past. LCWS has provided me the opportunity to participate in the training on human rights development so as to aware us on our human rights provision. I am earning net NPR 6,000 as monthly income through tailoring and grocery shop. I am treasurer of municipality level DPO through which we are actively advocating on the issues of PwDs.”
The project focused on empowering, strengthen and support PwDs including women, girls and their organization for risk informed planning, building resilience communities and to amplify their voices. Similarly, Disabled People’s Organization (DPO) and Disaster Management Committees (DMCs) were better prepared for respond and to recover from future disasters in the project target area. Guni Mardi was one of the project beneficiaries. She actively participated in various events of community level sensitization/orientation/training on disability inclusive DRR and Participatory Vulnerability Community Analysis. She got opportunity to participate in “Disability Inclusive Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction” training for DPOs, DMCs and civil society organizations and engaged in course of formulating and institutionalizing the disability inclusive emergency preparedness and response plan (EPRP).
Dr Prabin Manandhar, Country Director LWF Nepal says, “Addressing gender equality in the context of disability is critical. Women with disabilities face triple discrimination the world over on the basis of disability, gender and poverty. They are more vulnerable to social exclusion, and often have limited social, political and economic opportunities and lack of access to basic services. It is therefore necessary to mainstream cross-cutting gender to ensure the inclusion and empowerment of women and girls with disabilities.”
Heretofore, NELC, LCWS and LWF Nepal capacitated and mobilized her as PwD Woman Human Rights Defender (HRD) and also she revived entrepreneur support (grocery shop) for her livelihood option. Moreover, she engaged herself in tailoring also. Being a HRD, she continuously, raised the voices and organized PwDs to systematically claim for their rights and entitlements.
Along with the capacity enhancement of DPO, the stakeholders particularly municipality and civil society organizations working on PwDs have been widely coordinated through project intervention. The municipality elected leaders and officials have been trained on Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Management” and respective municipality has been supported to formulate and roll-out disability inclusive EPRP.
Lastly, the project has contributed to institutionalize DIDRR in local government system. She was thankful to LCWS, NELC and LWF Nepal for their continuous support and collaboration in course of mainstreaming PwDs in planning process of government and the empowerment of rights holders.
A contribution by LWF Nepal.
