How SHINE project opens up opportunities for people with disabilities through inclusive education and training

According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UN-CRPD), people with disabilities are: “those who have long-term physical, mental, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.” 

In Tanzania, the People with Disabilities Act defines disability in relation to the individual as the reduction or lack of opportunities to participate in normal social life on an equal level with others due to physical, mental, or social reasons. 

Global statistics indicate that approximately 16% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability, with between 2 and 4 percent of them experiencing significant difficulties in performing daily tasks. 

Further, according to the 2022 National Population and Housing Census, 11.2 percent of Tanzanians aged seven years and above live with some form of disability an increase of 1.9 percent compared to 9.3 percent in 2012. 

These statistics demonstrate the importance and urgent need to empower this group so they can fully participate in economic activities, as outlined by the National Development Vision to achieve an inclusive economy by 2050. 

It is for this reason that the European Committee for Agricultural and Training (CEFA), in collaboration with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), designed and implemented the SHINE project “Supporting Health, Social Inclusion, Nutrition and Employment”. 

The main goal of the SHINE project is to promote the social inclusion of people with disabilities in Tanzania, their inclusion in workplaces, improve access to health services, the strengthening of nutrition programmes and their full participation as citizens in the life of their communities in line with the Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID) approach. 

Speaking recently at the dissemination event of the SHINE project held at Kawe’s Azura Event Hall in Dar es Salaam, CEFA Country Representative Cinzia D’Intino said that in implementing this project, CEFA was entrusted with components aimed at increasing vocational training opportunities and labour market inclusion for youth with disabilities within Dar es Salaam region. 

She stated that to achieve these goals, CEFA implemented several activities including: capacity building for teachers and vocational training institutions, upgrading spaces to make school buildings inclusive, launching a career service that offers internship opportunities and provides business startup kits, as well as advocacy and awareness-raising for inclusivity and inclusive education. 

“Among the achievements we have made, thanks to the dedication of our staff in implementing this project, are: training 201 teachers, facilitating the implementation of three inclusive programmes, improving learning infrastructure at vocational training centers (VETA Chang’ombe and Yombo), constructing carpentry and bakery laboratories , providing training to 103 students, and supplying equipment to 30 startups,” D’Intino said. 

She added that the SHINE initiative marks the beginning of ensuring that people with disabilities are given opportunities in various economic and social sectors through inclusive training so that they can effectively participate in the economy through self-employment and employability. 

“SHINE has shown us that it is possible to include people with disabilities in economic development through inclusive training. We thank AICS that funded this project, the Government and various stakeholders for supporting us in implementing it, which, we believe, is the beginning of a journey of hope to ensure people with disabilities participate actively in their community,” she stated. 

Speaking about the project, the AICS Team Leader, Mr Paolo Razzini said SHINE is a two-year project being implemented in the regions of Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, and Morogoro, involving close collaboration with the Government (the Ministry of Education, VETA, and the Prime Minister’s Office, LYED) and other stakeholders. He said the first part of the project was to ensure access to health services for communities, especially for people with disabilities. 

The second part was to ensure access to technical training opportunities for youth with disabilities, as well as promoting policy and institutional changes for inclusive public services. 

“At AICS, we have been carrying out our work with a focus on people with disabilities who, according to Tanzanian statistics, represent 11.2 percent of the population. 

Given the various challenges they face, the SHINE project is an important effort towards achieving inclusion of this group in building the economy,” Mr Razzini said. 

He explained that the SHINE project had demonstrated how people with disabilities could be provided with skills and use those skills to economically improve themselves and their communities. 

The Employment Coordinator for People with Disabilities from the Prime Minister’s Office (Labour, Youth, Employment, and People with Disabilities), Mr Bruno Mwakibibi, commended CEFA and AICS for the tremendous work they had accomplished through SHINE, stating that they had remembered a group of people with disabilities that has often been forgotten in society. 

“This project will greatly help people with disabilities and ensure that they are included in various opportunities provided by the Government and the private sector, as it offers training opportunities and learning tools that enable people with disabilities to gain skills for self-employment and employment,” said Mr Mwakibibi. 

He added that the work done at the Yombo Vocational Training Centre (YVTC) for People with Disabilities which included building laboratories, classrooms, and other activities, was a significant step that the Government recognized, promising to safeguard so it could serve for many years. 

Speaking on behalf of the VETA Director General, the authority’s Acting Director General, Mr Angelus Ngonyani, said VETA recognized and valued the great work done by CEFA through SHINE and emphasized that the expertise provided to VETA teachers would greatly help impart skills to many youths with disabilities. “Inclusive skill training is a crucial pillar in empowering people with disabilities as it opens opportunities for them to be self-employed and employed. We commend these stakeholders through SHINE because now people with disabilities will have the assurance of gaining skills and progressing in their lives,” Mr Ngonyani stated. 

He added that the implementation of this project would also help grow the economy, as by providing such training, the nation would have a skilled workforce that could effectively participate in building a strong economy. 

One of the project beneficiaries, Ms Rahma Abdurahaman, said the SHINE project had greatly helped her to become self-employed something she never thought she would achieve due to the challenges of her disability