Raising the Voice of Young People with Disabilities: AIDS and Disability Rights in Africa

In partnership with RI member Disabled Organization for Legal Affairs and Social Economic Development (DOLASED) in Tanzania, which is headed by RI Vice President for Africa, Mr. Gidion Mandesi, RI has begun the second phase of a project to raise the voice of people with disabilities in Africa. This project focuses on the development of educational materials and training for youth with disabilities on the issue of HIV/AIDS and disability rights. The project is being conducted in Tanzania and Mozambique, with the hope of creating a training manual which can be replicated for other countries in Africa. This project was developed to promote the African Decade of People with Disabilities - an initiative of non-governmental organizations in Africa in cooperation with UN Member States and Governments of the African Union which started in 1999 – and is a follow-up to a previous project to support leadership training among women and young people with disabilities in South Africa. Both phases of the project have been made possible thanks to the generous contribution of the Swedish International Development Association (Sida). For more information, see the one-page detailed project flyer.

The RI Africa and Arab Regions will be hosting a Regional Conference in Djerba, Tunisia in October 2007. More details.

To learn more about projects and initiatives in Africa, contact:

Vice President
Mr. Gidion Kaino Mandesi
The Disabled Organization of Legal Affairs and Social Economic Development
P.O. Box 62963
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Tel. Mobile: +255--22-741-404240
Fax: +255--22-2668936
E-mail:  dolasedtanzania@yahoo.com

Deputy Vice President
Ms. Sebenzile Matsebula, Director
African Access Holdings
African Access Park
210-217 Epsom Avenue
P.O. Box 798
Northriding, 2156, South Africa
Tel.: +27-11-699 2000
Fax: +27-11-699 2024
E-mail: sebenzilem@aaccess.co.za
Web: www.africanaccessholdings.com