As organisations partner to improve financial literacy among disabled people

In furtherance of its efforts to improve the well being of people with physical challenges through concrete positive actions, The Christ Foundation, a registered non-governmental organisation located in Ibadan, on Wednesday held a financial literacy programme for people living with disability in Ibadan.

The programme which was based on the need to help create a platform that will increase the rate of success amidst small scale entrepreneurs living with disability within Oyo State and environs, was a collaborative effort between The Christ Foundation and Seedvest Microfinance Bank.

Christ Foundation is an organisation with focus on all aspects of empowering people with disabilities and their families to lead healthy and productive lives by rehabilitating them and empowering them for Christ and society.

Speaking at the event, the manager of Seedvest Micro Finance Bank, Dugbe, Mr Sunday Aderibigbe, posited that the seminar was facilitated to promote inclusion of people with disability in the financial sector as well as provide the framework for access to capital for small and medium scale entrepreneurs among them, adding that the disabled should see themselves as unique and should embrace the opportunity extended to them by the organisation.

He highlighted different products, rules and process of accessing the loan in Seedvest Micro Finance Bank and urged the disabled to cut their coat according to their clothes when trying to access loans.

“Your disability doesn’t stop you from achieving success. Don’t use your present state to your disadvantage, take up the loan but use it loan for the right thing so as to ease your paying back as when due. You can have access to our loan if you have a working business. We don’t discriminate. We give equal treatment to both able and the disabled. It could be individual or group access to loan but you must have a business, that is the major prerequisite that comes even before collateral,” Sunday said.

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Responding to a question on why the loan is open to people with business alone and not for startups. He revealed that financial regulations for startups are not favorable and no financial institution will want to tread such part but they would be glad to relate with businesses that have gone through the SWOT analysis and still stand.

“We want to create a lasting relationship with people and won’t like to give loan  for startup which would be difficult to pay back due to the unfamiliar terrain of such business but would be glad to give an existing business” We appreciate relationship, he concluded.

Speaking during the programme, a member of the board of trustees, Mrs O.O Alade appreciated the efforts of the organisation and the turnout of the disabled as well as their interest in equipping themselves through such a programme and urged them not to relent in their efforts but aim for the sky.

The seminar is not the only activity embarked on by The Christ Foundation which has been in existence for over 25 years, the group also engages in activities that border on reintegrating people with disabilities into mainstream society with main focus on finding ability in disability via a tripod of awareness, advocacy and empowerment.

Since its establishment in 1993, the foundation has touched thousands of lives through meeting a range of needs directly from individuals and their families; provision of mobility aids (wheel chairs and crutches); education grants, scholarships (for vocational schools and schools for special needs); small business loans and grants; apprenticeships and work training programs.

The Christ Foundation also engages in proactive disability awareness programs that strategically focus on changing attitudes towards disabilities in the society as well as building networks to support current and future education, skills training and business development opportunity needs.

A beneficiary of the seminar, Raheem Yusuf thanked The Christ Foundation for the collaborative effort with organisations like Seedvest Microfinance Bank to see that the disabled expand their businesses. He also called on the government to do more in including the disabled in the economic and government processes.

For the management of Christ Foundation, promoting people with disabilities to be self generating and self sustaining is a vision that cannot be taken with levity; this is why there is special focus on manpower development initiative aimed at training people with disabilities into productive, self-sustaining individuals, who will lead independent lives and become productive members of society.

This is done through skills acquisition/vocational training, education grants and scholarships, business set-up & resettlement grants and entrepreneurship. Through these, the foundation promotes self-worth and provides the opportunity for people to make a living.

And as the people get empowered to aspire for individual financial independence, the foundation has reiterated its determination not to rest on its oars until people living with disabilities are not relegated as second rate citizens in the society and are given the required environment that can make them thrive.