Somalia Disability Empowerment Network (SODEN) is one of the most activist local organization that advocates the Rights for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Somalia. SODEN provides services to PWDs on behalf of advocacy. One of the major activities SODEN provides to PWDs includes raising awareness on discrimination against PWDs, empowering them through capacity building, and providing them with Vocational Skills Training (VST), protecting their rights but is not limited to only advocacy.
SODEN focuses on and organizes international events of PWDs, such as World Blinds’ Day for White cane, International Sign Day for PWDs, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and others for the PWDs to celebrate and commemorate these days giving the opportunity for them to feel inclusiveness and cohesion. On these days events of different kinds are organized and performed. The activities on these days include the distribution of facilities such as white cane, wheelchairs, crunches, and many more.
he Event SODEN commemorating on the International Day of PWDs, on Dec 3rd, 2020, SODEN has organized a big event to celebrate this great day. The event took place at Weydow IDP camps where a large number of identified PWDs live in. In response to the status and conditions of the PWDs, this year 2020,
SODEN has taken the decision, responsibility and the advantage to visit and hold the event at the living areas of PWDs instead of holding the event in town, to give the PWDs the opportunity to have the access to the celebration for the event. Local authorities were invited to participate in the commemoration of the day with SODEN and PWDs, traditional elders, religious-affiliated groups, and all other stakeholders were also invited to participate in the event. a large number of PWDs beneficiaries took part in.
ODEN has distributed ‘‘White canes to 23 blind persons, (14 men and 9 women). SODEN complying with the covid-19 protocol and prevention measures, it has taken all necessary measures to make sure that no one has been affected during the event run-up. The Theme of the year SODEN has taken ‘‘Building Back Better toward Disability-Inclusiveness, Accessible and Sustainable Post Covid-19 World’’ as the 2020 Theme for the event.
SODEN has distributed ‘‘White canes to 23 blind persons, (14 men and 9 women). SODEN complying with the covid-19 protocol and prevention measures, it has taken all necessary measures to make sure that no one has been affected during the event run-up. The Theme of the year SODEN has taken ‘‘Building Back Better toward Disability-Inclusiveness, Accessible and Sustainable Post Covid-19 World’’ as the 2020 Theme for the event.
Beneficiaries’ speeches Some of the beneficiaries have thanked SODEN for distributing the White cane to them and narrated their need for the white cane as a tool which shall potentially help them reach remote areas where they were not accessible before.
Ms. Maryan Jimale, Said, ‘‘I am very much thankful with SODEN for bringing us the ‘white cane’ which were very much grateful, as we were very much in need for them because the white canes help us walk, as we have a visual disability and can’t walk without help, we are very much pleased that we can now walk with the white cane without help. We hereby request our brother SODEN administration to be aware of our status in life and provide us the necessary care we may require and they can. Getting this white cane is more valuable than any other thing, holding it and walking with it, we are encouraged to walk and we are now confident, but this morning, before getting it, we were discouraged and we had nothing to touch with to sense and get the directions’’
Mr. Abdulnaser Ali Abdullahi ‘‘I am very much pleased and thankful for the relief we received from SODEN, that relief is which I was much in need of it and we all needed it. I give my thanks to SODEN for bringing this relief (white cane) at the rights time when it was highly needed,’’ he said.
