Kigali - April 29th, 2014 - Three cooperatives of Persons with Disabilities were awarded for their positive impact in “Work for Self-relianceâ€, a theme of the year chosen by MIFOTRA.
The Cooperatives of Persons with Disabilities were selected at National level and awarded three prizes: 1,000,000, 750,000 and 500,000 Rwandan francs.
The top prize was awarded to COOPERATIVE ABASANGIRANGENDO TWISUNGANE MUKAMA (COABATWIMU) which demonstrated strong technical skills particularly in weaving, knitting, tailoring and embroidery.
Second prize went to Cooperative Solidalité Buliza (COOSOBU). This cooperatives specialized in beekeeping and candle making. In 2012, they received 1 million Rwandan francs in financial support from NCPD.
The purpose was toupgrade their machinery and this subsequently had a positive impact on their performance.
Third prize was awarded to the cooperative that grows irish potatoes and other agricultural products called DUKOMEZUBUZIMA KINIGI Cooperative.
Each year, the Ministry of Public Service and Labour (MIFOTRA) organizes and prepares Labour Day around a particular theme. In 2014, the theme was “Work for Self-reliance†which focused on creating awareness and sensitizing employers and employees to perform and positively impact programs that facilitate national development.
National Council of Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) work with MIFOTRA in implementing “Kuremera and Agakiriroâ€, one among many national development programs.
The NCPD’s strong message is that Persons with Disabilities are “ready and able†for employment and other activities and could have a huge impact in job creation and alleviating poverty across the country.
Process of identifying top performers among Persons with Disabilities
During the preparation of Labour Day 2014, plans were put in place to ensure in-depth follow-up. A team made up of MIFOTRA representatives and key stakeholders visited all districts from 10th – 20th March 2014 to nominate specific businesses categories involving Persons with Disabilities:
The overall aim was to identify Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) or Cooperatives of Persons with disability that have promoted employment in each district; TVET schools which facilitate students in apprenticeship/industrial schemes; Companies taking on students for apprenticeship. They also evaluated Progress of Kuremera Program; Status of Agakiriro program and accessibility and friendliness towards PwDs in various facilities e.g. mini-markets in Gasabo, Kicukiro and Nyarugenge.