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October 31, 2009
Training Report : Oct. 22, 2009 Peer Counseling and Peer Support
On the day of October 22, the participants learned a new method of counseling. It was “Peer Counseling for people with disability.”
Peer counseling is to empower each other (peer) by listening to each other, releasing emotions, sharing the same amount of time without giving advice or denial. And it is important that you don't reveal any story you heard during counseling.
Peer counseling assumes that we all have the following philosophy: all human beings have creativity, wisdom, love, joy, and solidarity in abundance. This philosophy, an intrinsic part of all human beings, is easy to upset; therefore, in order to protect ourselves, we prepare defensive mechanism like fear and insecurity. As long as we are unable to discuss these hurt feelings and be comforted, we make decisions and take action based on our hurt feelings and sorrow rather than on clear, logical thought.
As long as these hurt feelings are not resolved by talking with someone else, the person's actions are filled with anguish and clear, rational thinking does not take place.
The participants seemed to be perplexed in the beginning because it was entirely the new method for all of them. But as the program was preceded, they became to be curious to know about it.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1022.html
Posted by jicafriends at 10:44 PM | Comments (0)
October 28, 2009
International White Cane Day Celebrations
During the Second Convention of the International Federation of the Blind (now the World Blind Union) in 1969, Sri Lanka proposed that the 15th of October be declared as International White Cane Day. The Convention was held in Sri Lanka by the International Federation of the Blind in partnership with the Sri Lanka Council for the Blind (SLCB) as the President of the Federation was a member of the SLCB.
The SLCB annually organises the National White Cane Safety Day Celebrations in a grand manner befitting to the significance of the event. This year, the ceremony took place on the 15th of October in the Public Library Auditorium of Colombo. The Chief Guest, Mrs. Leisha de Silva Chandrasena, Chairperson of Sri Lanka Telecom in her speech, promised to grant a special concessional rate for broad band internet services in order to ensure accessibility to information and communication to persons with visual disabilities. Toe tapping entertainment was provided by Janith Rukmal, a blind undergraduate together with several other blind youth.
There were three very informative speeches. Mr. Gamini Karunaratne enlightened the large audience among which were several high ranking government officials, on the importance of the White Cane. Two ladies, Dr. Mrs. S. Kariyawasam and Ms. Susila Nandani Perera spoke on how they easily adapted to the condition of total blindness with the assistance of the SLCB. Dr. Mrs. Kariyawasam lost her sight later in life while Ms. Perera was born with low vision and completely went blind gradually. Needy persons with visual disabilities received cash grants to support self-employment and construction of houses. Cassette players and talking watches were also donated. All persons with visual disabilities received a white cane each. At the end of the proceedings, we resolved to work with even more commitment towards making the public and private sector aware and recognise our abilities rather than our disabilities.
Shalika Karunaratne
Representative of Sri Lanka - Leaders Course 2006
Member, Executive Committee - Sri Lanka Council for the Blind
http://jicafriends.jp/projects/asiaandpacific/srilanka/007shalika/005.html
Posted by jicafriends at 02:04 PM | Comments (0)
Blind agents work in new call center-Philippines
We know that Tahanang Walang Hagdanan already started a call center as an work place for persons with physical disorders in the Philippines.
http://www.tahanangwalanghagdanan.org/jp.htm
Following information also introduced the call center in the Philippines, but this center is for persons with visual impairments. It was downloaded from the mailing list of "Disability and Development" with a cooperation of the publisher, Mr. Soya Mori.
Manila Times
Wednesday, 28 October 2009 00:00
By Llanesca T. Panti, Reporter
What could be the first call center in developing countries to be staffed by blind persons has opened in the Philippines.
Housed at the Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (ATRIEV) offices along E. Rodriguez Avenue in Quezon City, the call center formally opened its doors on October 20, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported on Tuesday.
It “is believed to be the first and the only one of its kind operating in a developing economy in the world, ” the department reported.
The call center, a project under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Digital opportunity Center (ADOC) Initiative, is expected to be fully operational by November 2009.
It is supported by the ADOC Secretariat, Institute for Information Industry, Chunghwa Telecom, Acer Computer Corp. and Tamkang University ―all based in Chinese Taipei―as well as the Philippine APEC National Secretariat, Department of Education,
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons, Philippine National School for the Blind and city government of Quezon City.
The call center is equipped with special and customized outbound call-center software and refreshable Braille display input output devices that will enable its agents to assist clients by reading prescribed responses in Braille.
Posted by jicafriends at 10:26 AM | Comments (0)
October 27, 2009
Training Report : October 19, 2009 PM : Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan
After lunch nine participants left JICA Tokyo to receive the first lecture at the Ministry of Labor, Health and Welfare.
On the way to the ministry they passed by Imperial Palace, Supreme Court, National Police Agency, and National Theatre of Japan.
The ministry is located in Kasumigaseki, where you can find most of Japan's cabinet ministry headquaters.
The lecture was about the Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan, given by Special Advisor, in the field of welfare for persons with disabilities. He gave a comprehensive explanation on the topic, including historical development of welfare services for persons with disabilities, definition of disabilities, certificate of persons with disabilities, measures for persons with disabilities, assistive devices, income security, measures related education and employment. Thus participants could gain an overall understanding of the welfare services for persons with disabilities in Japan.
Before going back to JICA Tokyo, nine participants had an opportunity to take a picture in front of the National Diet of Japan.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1019pm.html
Posted by jicafriends at 09:12 PM | Comments (0)
Training Report : October 19, 2009 : Program Orientation
Program Orientation was followed after the opening ceremony.
Most of the core members of Leadership Development Course, such as nine participants, course leader and three planning committee members of the program and JICA officers, JICE coordinators, and JSRPD staff gathered at seminar room 18.
Chairperson of Planning Committee gave a power point presentation on the overview of the course.
Lecture Material :
Welcome to the training course in Leadership Development of Persons with Disabilities
Also the resource book and some additional information were provided. All the people who were present there introduced themselves including some personal information and we got to know each other a little bit more.
All of us are looking forward to collaborating together and learning a lot from each other during the coming 7 weeks.
We could get off to a good start!
http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l101902.html
Posted by jicafriends at 05:33 PM | Comments (0)
October 22, 2009
2 NCD’s can take away person’s vision-Fiji
Following information is about Mr. Setareki Macanawai, a former participant of Leaders Course 1999. He is now the Chief Executive Officer of the Pacific Disability Forum.
The information was downloaded from the mailing list of "Disability and Development" with a cooperation of the publisher, Mr. Soya Mori.
Publish date/time: 21/10/2009 [07:46]
Fijivillage.com
The Chief Executive Officer of the Pacific Disability Forum said that taking good care of eyes will save people from losing the most precious body part.
45 year old Setareki Macanawai said that sometimes people do not seem to understand how it feels to be not able to see things.
The National Advisor for Non Communicable Diseases, Dr Isimeli Tukana said that people need to realise that two NCD's can take away a person's vision.
Meanwhile, for the first time ever, people with disabilities in the Pacific will be the focus of a Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial meeting to be held in Rarotonga, Cook Islands from today.
The Secretariat's Acting General Secretary Feleti Teo said that this Forum will be a landmark forum as the Secretariat has for the first time organised a ministerial meeting with a human rights focus.
http://www.fijivillage.com/?mod=story&id=2110099519c06c498f29ee54f675ac
Posted by jicafriends at 03:42 PM | Comments (0)
October 21, 2009
Training Report: October 19, 2009 Opening Ceremony
Opening ceremony for Leadership Development Course 2009 was held at JICA Tokyo on 19th of October.
Welcome Speeches were addressed by Director of Human Development Division, Tokyo International Center, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and then by Secretary General, Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (JSRPD).
After the ceremony the participants took pictures in front of the national flags.
Their training will be reported on this web page.
Posted by jicafriends at 07:00 PM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2009
Nine participants of Leadership Development Course 2009
Dear jicafriends,
We are very happy to inform you all that nine participants from Philippines, Lao PDR, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Saint Lucia, Namibia, and Pakistan arrived in Japan safely and they are now ready to take the training program, which is going to start from October 19, Monday.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/schedule.html
We will report their training to you on this website.
Your comments will be most welcome!
The secretariat of jicafriends
Posted by jicafriends at 06:54 PM | Comments (0)
October 15, 2009
Special training before JICA Leadership Development Course 2009
Special training of assistance for persons with disabilities was conducted on 9th October organized by JICA Tokyo international center.
Ms. Yoko Sadaie Program officer of Human Development Division, JICA Tokyo, and Ms. Masako Okuhira, Manager of International training section of JSRPD, were invited as lecturers.
The training aimed to provide basic knowledge of assistance for persons with visual impairments and persons who use wheelchairs to people who worked for JICA TOKYO, in order to enhance support of training participants with disabilities. 15 persons participated in the training, practiced how to push wheelchairs at difference in level on street, and how to guide persons with visual impairments at stairs or on the Braille blocks.
That was the first of its kind of experience for most of participants.
At the beginning, participants tried very gingerly, however, they grasped the techniques gradually by hands-on experience.
Ms. Sadaie and Ms. Okuhira both emphasized that the most important point of assistance was, to ASK needs of persons who will be assisted.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1009.html
Posted by jicafriends at 11:14 PM | Comments (0)
October 07, 2009
Training Report : July 13, 2009 Visit: JHC Itabashi, Employment of Persons with Mental Disabilities
Five participants visited a non profit organization “Joint House Cosmos, Itabashi,” which was established in 1983 to support independent living and social participation of persons with mental disabilities. One of the planning committee members acts as Board Vice Chairperson of the organization. They have been conducting their activity to provide facilities as the base (House) where any one as a resident exchanges (Joint) with harmony (Cosmos).
At first JICA participants visited the Clubhouse Sun Marina. Board Chairperson of JHC lectured on the outline of the organization, and Chief of welfare department of Itabashi Ward explained the welfare policies, services, and activities for persons with mental disabilities.
The members of Sun Marina cook their lunch everyday for themselves. When they plan the lunch menu they pay attention to the nutritional balance and display the foods.
Members specially cooked lunch for JICA participants and they enjoyed eating together.
In the afternoon, participants visited two sheltered workshops, “Akatsuka(means name of the place)” and “Cosmos (means name of flower as well as harmony)”.
At Akatsuka the members produce and sell pastries such as cakes, jellies and cookies and they also operate tea room. At Cosmos the members not only operate restaurant but they deliver lunch boxes to the elderly people living in the neighborhood. They can learn vocational skills, at the same time they get opportunities to interact with people in the community through those activities.
The member who has been belonging to Cosmos for 14 years said keeping good relationship with other members is a key for him to work comfortably. The other member said that he could keep regular habits and he became healthier, since he started to come to Sun Marina everyday.
Participants were impressed and understood the characteristics of JHC and importance of networking with community people.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0713.html
Posted by jicafriends at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)
Special care for disabled, senior citizens among IDPs-Sri Lanka
We found the following information about Vavuniya District, Sri Lanka. One of the participants of Leadership Development Course 2008 was Hon. Secretary, the Executive Committee of Oganization for Rehabilitation of the Handicapped - Vavuniya District. He send us his progress report every other month.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/projects/asiaandpacific/srilanka/008jayakugan/001.html
The information was downloaded from the mailing list of "Disability and Development" with a cooperation of the publisher, Mr. Soya Mori.
Lakshmi DE SILVA The Ministry of Social Service and Social Welfare has taken several measures to improve the conditions of the disabled people and senior citizens among the Internally Displaced Persons living in welfare villages and IDP centres in the North and had spent around Rs. 17.6 million for their services Secretary Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Jegarajasingham told Daily News. The Friend In Need Society in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Services had provided 240 artificial limbs to needy people in the IDP centres and arrangements have been made to provide another 150 artificial limbs to the disabled.
Three libraries were started in Vavuniya and another five reading centres were started in IDP zones at a cost of around Rs. 840,000. Distribution of sewing machines and counselling for more than 25,000 persons with 20 counselling officers from the Social Services Ministry had cost the\Social Service Ministry more than Rs. 57.4 million, INGOs too have assisted in these efforts, she said.
Total number of elders living in the welfare centres were around 19,226 and there were nine senior citizen homes in Vavuniya and Mannar while around 765 senior citizens were settled in those homes. The construction of the new elders' home at Thiruketheeswaram was assigned to the State Engineering Corporation at a cost of Rs. 22.3 million and already Rs. five million rupees has been released. The construction was in progress, she said.
Wheelchairs, crutches and elbows and assisting devices for IDPs were provided at a cost of Rs. 5.6 million while community-based rehabilitation programs for disabled persons and children with the assistance from UNICEF were also conducted by the Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry, she noted.
http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/10/03/news50.asp
Posted by jicafriends at 03:17 PM | Comments (0)
Training Report : July 10, 2009 Cocoron (Local visit: day 6)
Early in the morning five participants visited Cocoroya to observe how farm producers deliver their products or processed foods. They deliver, put the price, and set out their products on the wooden shelves. They all know what to do without any assistants. The revenue from selling is increasing and Cccoroya is existing as part of a commonplace for community.
Then participants visited the farmhouse. Two members of Cocoron are gaining OJT at the farm. When participants arrived they were picking eggplants. Owner of the farmhouse invited JICA participants to his house and they could ask questions and exchanged opinions with him.
Then they visited a hospital where Cocoron member is employed. He first gained OJT with support of job coach and the hospital just recently decided to employ him. JICA participants had an opportunity to meet director general and head nurse who are in charge of him.
Before going back to Cocoron they went to Sake breweries “Ooki Daikichi”. They are a great supporter of Cocoron and they participate together to the three-year project on “Revitalization of the Village Mountains” as part of the community building activity. In this project three parties were involved such as Horticulture center in Shirakawa city, Sake breweries “Ooki Daikichi” and Cocoron. The activities are rice-planting, weeding in a rice field and harvesting. People with disability have participated in this project with persons without disabilities. In Japan the increased abandonment of rice field is becoming serious issue. But with a good plan and activity such problems could be solved.
Ooki Daikichi also employs four persons with disabilities at their sake breweries and they distribute their merchandise to Cocoron. Participants were invited to the owner's house, which is a traditional Japanese architecture. They enjoyed having lunch and nice conversation with the owner.
JICA participants had a feedback session at Cocoron. Participants got many good ideas which they can apply to their countries. Especially they could learn the spirits of Cocoron and they were very much encouraged to work for persons with mental disabilities in respective countries.
Five participants left Shin-Shirakawa with innumerable beautiful memories of Fukushima Prefecture.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0710.html
Posted by jicafriends at 11:46 AM | Comments (0)
October 06, 2009
Training Report : July 9, 2009 Cocoron (Local visit: day 5)
In the morning five participants visited Prefectual Kennan (Southern part) Health and Welfare Office to learn about the welfare and health services provided by the Prefectual government.
Then they moved to “Nagomi-no-ie (House of Comfort),” a Community Activity Support Center. 20 members welcomed five participants with big smiles. They engaged in subcontract job, Yamato home-delivery service, food processing work. It is located in front of Prefectual Kennan Health and Welfare Office. Five participants became very interested in the setting of this support center, which is quite applicable in their countries.
Before lunch they stopped by “Challenge shop Nikoniko-ya (smile a sweet smile),” where fresh vegetable, products and food items from neighboring shops including Cocoro-ya and Nagomi-no-ie are sold. Cocoron sent staff there to support selling items. People living in the neighborhood come not only for buying things but also for chitchatting. Participants nibbled here and there and became so hungry and they rushed to “Cocoro-ya” for lunch.
Healthy lunch boxes were prepared for participants. While eating, Managing Director of Cocoron explained why and how she overcame difficulties and started Cocoroya in Izumizaki village. After establishing Cocoron, the next step was to build a sheltered workshop, but condition is hard and no fund. Izumizaki village has a population of 6,700. Its main industry is agriculture. Cocoron thinks about anything connected to agriculture. Cocoron opened the Cafe and Shop ccalled Cocoroya to sell products what farmers produce. Lunch and sweets with products sold are served. Cocoroya became popular as it was introduced in a newspaper and TV. Cocoroya also goes selling by a car at a housing complex. The revenue from selling is increasing. Cccoroya is existing as part of a commonplace for community.
After lunch they went to Cocoron to take Japanese calligraphy lesson together with the members of Cocoron. Cocoron organizes the Japanese calligraphy lesson in order to learn how to concentrate or how to settle down. A writing master comes to Cocoron once a month as a volunteer. Participants from China and Malaysia know how to write Chinese character but it was a first experience for others. They all enjoyed and could create friendship between members and participants.
After the feedback session, they observed a group home as the last program of the day. It was newly built for members to promote their self-independence. It takes only two minutes from Cocoron, so members can go and back from Cocoron whenever they want to. They have an individual room to keep their privacy; however they eat breakfast and dinner together.
http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0709.html
Posted by jicafriends at 07:38 PM | Comments (0)
October 05, 2009
A message of Sympathy to jicafriends in the Philippines and Indonesia
First we would like to express our feelings of sympathy to all the people of the Philippines who have suffered, and who are still suffering by the typhoon. We learned 33,000 people were evacuated from the the east of the main island due to "super typhoon" bore down on Friday, September 25, 2009 and a week after flash floods in and around Manila killed nearly 300 people.
http://jp.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5910VE20091002
We would also like to express our feelings of sympathy to all the victims of Indonesia who were badly damaged in the earthquake, occurred in Sumatra island on Oct.1, 2009. We heard that 1,000 people are feared dead and many more trapped in rubble.
http://article.wn.com/view/2009/10/01/Thousands_feared_dead_in_Indonesia_quake/
We really do hope that human damage won't be expanded and exacerbated in both countries.
We always pray for you all,
The secretariat of jicafriends
Posted by jicafriends at 01:05 PM | Comments (0)