By Muhammad Amaan
The Vulnerable People Support and Development Initiative (V-PeSDI) has intensified its efforts to promote disability inclusion and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities through an advocacy visit to the School of Special Education, Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso, Kano State.
The advocacy visit was led by the V-PeSDI Coordinator, Aftahana Dahiru Sarina, alongside the organisation’s Technical Adviser, Mallam Salisu Yusuf, KANET Chairman, Barr. Nura Ahmad Muhammad, and V-PeSDI Coordination Group Member, Amatulmannan Mikaeel Ishaq.
The delegation met with Mallam Abdulkadir Darma, Head of School of Special Education, to explore opportunities for stronger collaboration between V-PeSDI and the academic institution.
Discussions focused on establishing a sustainable working relationship between academia and civil society to strengthen disability-inclusive development and expand public awareness initiatives across Kano State.
As part of the engagement, V-PeSDI and the School of Special Education, Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso, agreed to maintain a collaborative relationship and support each other in relevant areas of mutual interest.
V-PeSDI further expressed its willingness to provide facilitation and technical support whenever the school requires its services for relevant programmes, trainings, workshops, awareness campaigns, or other disability inclusion-related activities.
The V-PeSDI team also disseminated its disability inclusion awareness campaign posters to the School of Special Education as part of efforts to strengthen awareness and engagement within the academic community, promote understanding of disability rights, and encourage greater participation of persons with disabilities in educational and community development processes.
Key areas identified for collaboration include climate change mitigation awareness, voter education, increased participation of persons with disabilities in electoral processes, and advocacy for accessible infrastructure and public facilities.
Speaking during the engagement, the V-PeSDI delegation emphasised the importance of ensuring that persons with disabilities are not merely beneficiaries of development interventions but are actively involved in the planning, design, implementation, and monitoring of programmes and projects that affect their lives.
The visit further reaffirmed V-PeSDI’s commitment to building strategic partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to advance accessibility, inclusion, equal participation, and the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.
V-PeSDI believes that meaningful disability inclusion requires collective action, evidence-based advocacy, and sustained collaboration among institutions and communities.
The organisation therefore remains committed to strengthening partnerships that contribute to building a more inclusive and equitable Kano State.
