Meet our Disability Inclusion Facilitators: Isabella Akech

August 11, 2020 in Blog

ABOUT ISABELLA

Isabella joined the Make 12.4% Work Initiative in November 2018 when she participated in the first-ever Disability Inclusion Academy. She underwent a 9 months fellowship and was certified as a Disability Inclusion Facilitator in November 2019. Aside from her role in the Initiative, Isabella owns a salon business in Moroto town. She is also an avid book reader and film enthusiast in her free time.

MY JUNE – JULY HIGHLIGHTS

picture of Isabella handing food to an elderly lady in a wheelchair

I coordinated the food distribution exercise in Moroto District. This was done under Light for the World’s COVID-19 response plan. Over 400 people with disabilities in 5 sub-counties benefited from the exercise. The beneficiaries were very thankful for the items; I remember one of them saying, “This is manna from above.”

picture of isabella with a little boy. There are bags of relief food on the ground next to them

The little boy on my right has a mental illness. He was one of the food beneficiaries but it happened that he had not been registered among other food beneficiaries. I had to make sure he went home with food.

picture of Isabella sitting next to a little girl. Other people from the community are shown in the background as well as Mount Moroto

This was yet another memorable time during the food distribution. This is a community of the Karimojong who live at the top of Mount Moroto. It was my very first time to reach up there. The girl on my right is nine years old with a physical impairment. Due to negative perceptions about her disability, she has not been taken to school yet her younger sibling (without a disability) gets to go to school.

picture of isabella stirring a chemical mixture in a bucket

I identified four women with disabilities in Moroto Town to learn how to make liquid soap. This was also an activity under Light for the World’s COVID-19 response.

Thoughts: It is a very important skill to have especially in these times both for our own hygiene needs and to make extra money from. I remember one of the participants saying; “If this business goes well for us, this world will not laugh at us anymore.”

I participated in a 5-week online training on entrepreneurship organized by Light for the World and Mango Tree Uganda. This was done online through Zoom.

Thoughts: It was the first time I had used the app; I had some difficulty at the start but got used to it pretty quickly. I learnt a lot,from the training; for example, I learnt how to choose what business to start based on capital and other resources available. This knowledge will not only benefit me; I will pass it on as I coach other youth with disabilities in my community.