Ogun State Government Endorses the Training of Peer Educators on HIV & AIDS Among Persons with Disabilities:
Nov. 25, 2009 Achor Ojukwu Personal Assistant to the Executive Director
The Ogun State government has endorsed the Training of Peer Educators on HIV & AIDS Among Persons with Disabilities in the State. The endorsement was made today by the Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Alhaji Ambali Ishola at the opening ceremony for a 2-day training for Peer Educators on HIV & AIDS among Persons with Disabilities organised by Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
He said that the training is unique in the sense that it complements the demonstration of the State Government’s determination to provide dividends of democracy to the challenged persons in the State; in pursuance of this a special adviser has been appointed to advise the Governor on matters affecting Challenged Persons. According to Alhaji Ishola, the Special Adviser was appointed among them with the belief that a challenged person is in a better position to address their problems more than any other person.
In his opening remark, the Executive Director of Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Mr. David O. Anyaele said that the programme is part of project activities on Enhancing HIV & AIDS Behavioural Changes among Male & Female Persons with Disabilities in Lagos and Ogun States which will last for six months. According to him, CCD had already organised a consultative meeting with the leadership of different disability organisations in the project States. Mr. Anyaele said that the goal of this project is to empower persons with disabilities with skills for proactive HIV/AIDS response, while the trainings objective is to train male & female peer educators among persons with disabilities to reach their peers.
In addition, Mr. Anyaele said that the consultative meeting organized earlier created an opportunity to engage in a robust discussion on HIV/AIDS educational needs of people living with different forms of disabilities. The meetings afford a platform to brainstorm and make recommendations on empowering disabled peoples’ participation in HIV/AIDS intervention programmes in the state as well as make input into the format of IEC materials and training manual for participants with specific disability.
He expressed gratitude to National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) for supporting the project and thanked Ogun State Action Committee on AIDS for their uncommon support to this project. Dignitaries at the event includes; Mr. E. A. Ajayi Chairman, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) Ogun State Chapter, Mr. Bankole Aboloyinjo, Chairman, Association of Physically Challenged Persons, Ogun State Chapter Mr. Sunday Ogunbiyi, Chairman, National Association of the Deaf, Ogun State Chapter, and Mr. Mulero Makinde, Chairman National Association of the Blind, Ogun State Chapter among others.
The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) is an organization of, and for persons with disabilities that is committed to independent living, participation and social inclusion of Nigerians with disabilities and their families in development works. It was established in 2002 and incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja as a charity organisation. CCD is recognized by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, National Orientation Agency and National Agency for the Control of AIDS as a credible NGO working on disability matters.
