Vplusplus extension

ETC of PWD timeline

etc@gdpu funded by trustees and private donations: 2017- 2020
Vplus funded by trustees/private donations and match funded by FCDO: 2021 – 2023
Vplusplus funded by trustees and private donations: 2023 – 2024
Vplusplus extension funded by trustees and private donations 2024 – 2025

Vplusplus

Vplusplus supported over 80 youth with disabilities from the earlier Vplus skills training programme. It gave them:

training in financial literacy,
business development skills,
follow up support,
linkages to opportunities,
guidance and counseling,
safeguarding support,
tailor made trainings
monthly reflection meetings with youth

The Vplusplus programme worked, our beneficiaries are succeeding in their businesses and finding their rightful place in their communities.

Vplusplus extension beneficiary in the market selling her produce to a GDPU project officer

What next?

Clearly a Vplusplus style support and training programme had to carry on but equally clearly the basic model needed development.

Vplusplus extension

The basic aim of the Vplusplus extension programme, which began in May 2024, was to work with a wider group of youth with disabilities, some 130. But, the project officers and programme coordinators at GDPU were overstretched, long journeys out to the field to meet people whilst trying to run the programme from the office. The solution? Peer mentors

Peer mentors

During Vplusplus, GDPU had formed a group known as the peer mentors. These were young people, also with disabilities and with a proven record. Their role is to work with their peers with disabilities within their communities/districts. The role of GDPU is to enhance the capacity of (12 Male & Female to begin with) Peer Mentors so that they can in turn support their peers.

For example, in a recent monthly meeting GDPU were able to report that:

ETC of PWD/ GDPU Monthly Zoom Meeting 25/09/24:

“Hygiene and Sanitation: Training meeting given via Peer Mentors in Acet: Lillian and Emmanuel working with peers so no fears and participants can ask questions and be more personal. Challenges with available materials, next training will be better supplied so that training can be more practical. Very encouraging though and showing that Peer Mentor scheme works.“

“ Peer Mentor monthly report: Most had something to report, showing that they are really out there and profiling, the profiling form is developing to capture the data. 4 x Peer Mentors in Gulu profiled 65 x PWDs. This data can be used for future programmes and local government officials were made aware of this resource at the recent dissemination meeting. New PWDs found by the PM programme, meant that many new referrals could be made to the wheelchair programme and lots of new connections made.“

“Very busy, a challenging month lots going on and difficult to coordinate, network still poor and much rain. Peer Mentors can now do much of the work and finding PWDs not found before, reaching out to new beneficiaries.“

Advocacy

Perhaps the most interesting development is the increasing space for advocacy. Peer Mentors are collecting proper data, for the first time in most cases, on PWD’s in their area and making local government and NGOs aware of their needs, again for the first time in most cases. A big step forward.