Lebenshilfe Gießen: Solidarity for 400 people with disabilities in Uganda!

Lebenshilfe Gießen: Solidarity for 400 people with disabilities in Uganda!

In a world where inclusion often falls by the wayside, the Life support pouring with full commitment to the rights and living conditions of people with disabilities. Under the leadership of Harald Kolmar, who has coordinated the organization's international activities for over a decade, the focus is on improving living conditions for people with disabilities and their families in countries with little government support. Projects are financed through donations and federal funding in order to make the need for comprehensive support visible.

Particular attention is paid to the long-standing partnership with Inclusion Uganda. This collaboration has existed for over ten years and aims to bring about positive change, particularly in rural areas of Uganda, where many people with intellectual disabilities live in extreme poverty. The latest developments include a new project by the Ebsdorf association EIKOS e.V., which is scheduled to start in autumn 2025 and is co-financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The plan is to support 300 to 400 people with disabilities and their families.

Self-help and participation

The proven concept of the Self-help groups plays a central role. Around 60 groups are planned that will enable people to participate inclusively in areas such as agriculture, crafts, fish farming and animal husbandry. These self-help groups consist of 5-10 families and work, among other things, in vegetable cultivation and animal husbandry. In order to support the establishment and operation of these groups, participants are provided with materials and small loans.

The initiative has already reached over 260 destitute families and supported more than 300 young people with mental and physical disabilities. Harald Kolmar and Magnus Schneider recently visited Uganda to hold final discussions and inaugurate a central counseling center that offers people with disabilities a place for therapy and support. Future-oriented is the continuation of the work, which aims to install additional self-management units through Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR Workers) and to provide families with valuable advice.

Global perspectives

The challenges facing people with disabilities are global. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities It is essential to focus on inclusive development measures. Women and girls with disabilities are particularly affected, as they are often denied basic rights. To counteract this, inclusion is seen as the key to economic and social development. The 2030 Agenda calls for leaving no one behind and emphasizes the importance of barrier-free access to education, employment and public services.

Lebenshilfe Gießen does not remain idle and is internationally committed to the goal of equal participation for people with disabilities. In addition to the important cooperation in Uganda, projects are also carried out in Georgia and partnerships are maintained in India and selectively in Eastern Europe. However, cooperation with Belarus, Russia and Ukraine is suspended due to the current war.

With a call for donations, they would like to Life support pouring continue to advance international work and thus make an important contribution to improving the living situation of people with disabilities. There is a lot of work behind it, and together we can certainly achieve a lot.