Disability Advocate Training in Zambia

Congratulations to these 30 Disability Advocates who completed SHN’s Community Outreach program this past week! We’re proud of their commitment to making our community stronger and more inclusive. This training program exists to educate the larger Zambian community on how to create welcoming spaces for people with disabilities! Several of our graduates shared that they are excited to educate their friends and family about what they have learned and we are excited for how they will make an impact in their communities!

Here is what some of the students had to say about the program:

"I've learned a lot about intellectual disability. I am very grateful that they are doing this in the community."

"I've learned to have a disability is not a curse. We are not supposed to be shunning these children. I now have my eyes open."

"The training has been very beneficial and I would encourage more people to take part in such training because for me personally I feel that it has given me a better mindset because at the end of the day I now see a person that has an intellectual disability and a person that does not have a disability as one and the same, unlike before the training, there was always the strigmatization in the beginnning."

We believe educating community members will allow us to continue partnering with local teachers and schools to help prepare classrooms for children of all abilities to grow and excell! Our goal is to increase and expand these trainings into every community in Zambia. 

Thank you for joining us in this important work, together we can create a more inclusive world!

-The Special Hope Network Team

Links:

• http://www.specialhopenetwork.org