Supporting disability justice through participatory grant-making.
We are delighted to receive an award from Postcode Justice Trust thanks to the funds raised by Postcode Lottery players, a total of £1,300,000 to date. These funds are supporting our work in Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Ghana to resource disabled people’s activism and nurture their leadership.
Our new strategy “Mitiririko” focuses on increasing the flow of resources and power to disability justice activists and Postcode Justice Trust is helping us to make this a reality. They are one of our funders backing our strategy “Mtiririko” and we are very grateful for this.
This funding is supporting initiatives like the Global Disability Leadership Academy, the Fairer Funding Campaign, the Disability Justice Fund for Women, the Disability Justice Fund for Youth, the Bangladesh Collaborative Fund, the Cambodia Collaborative Fund, and participatory grantmaking in Sudan.
Committing to transformation and disability justice.
It is widely documented that not enough flexible funding is made available for civil society organisations to survive, thrive, adapt and innovate. Within the disability sector specifically, there is even less flexible funding available. The funding that is available, mainly goes to large external agencies, rather than organisations that are led by disabled people in the majority world. Disabled people are powerful agents for change but are too often overlooked and blocked from accessing the resources they need to make change.
We are immensely grateful for the solidarity with and trust in disability justice movements that Postcode Justice Trust has demonstrated by providing unrestricted funding for them through ADD International.
At the launch of our strategy Mtiririko, we had Callum the International Development Advisor at Postcode Lottery take part as one of the speakers.
He said;
“Persons with disabilities are often labelled as helpless and unable. Working with ADD through their participatory grant making model has made us more confident as a funder to work in this space. Unrestricted funding brings us closer to the heart of an organisation, for example what they truly believe in, and what they do.”
Callum.
Postcode Justice Trust is committed to enable the creation of sustainable solutions that alleviate poverty, hunger and enable food security. They are a perfect ally of ADD’s journey away from traditional development towards a solidarity that heals injustice.
Building leadership for young people with disabilities.
Funding raised by players is supporting part of our work under the Global Disability Leadership Academy. The academy supports the unique but largely untapped leadership potential of disability justice leaders. It aims to help the global network of disability justice activists to become the next generation of change makers.
Lillian is a young leader from Tanzania, and she shares her experience with the academy.
“I am learning practical leadership tools that are strengthening the way I approach advocacy and project management. The academy is giving me space to reflect on my own leadership style while also connecting me to a global network of peers and mentors who share the same commitment to inclusion and social change. This experience is also building my confidence to influence change at higher levels, and equipping me with skills to design sustainable projects”
Lilian, Disability Justice Activist, Kenya.
The Leadership Academy fosters connections and collaboration among alumni from diverse sectors, enabling disability justice leaders across the world to build on the relationships they’ve formed throughout their lives and careers.
Fairer Funding for Disability Justice.
Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and disability justice activists need more and better funding. With this, they are leading the Fairer Funding campaign to ensure that more power is given to them to decide how funding is used.
They are skilled and passionate about creating positive change, they understand the priorities of their members, and they have the right to speak for themselves, yet they hardly receive or control any funding at all.
“Many funding models come with predefined objectives and deliverables, often designed by donors and institutions with little direct experience in disability rights work. This top-down approach forces disability activists to adapt their priorities to fit funding criteria, rather than allowing them to pursue the issues that matter most in our communities.”
Scader, Disability Justice Activist, Malawi
The funding raised by Postcode Lottery players is unrestricted and this has given disability justice activists the power to decide how funds are allocated hence addressing the actual challenges they face.
Supporting Disabled People Affected by the Crisis in Sudan.
The conflict in Sudan is affecting our ADD Sudan team, the organisations we work with, and the disabled people they represent. Many people are displaced and in need of basics like food, shelter and medication. Disabled people are facing additional challenges and may require health and mobility support, which is now even harder to access.
ADD has continued working with organisations of people with disabilities in Sudan, who have formed committees to respond. Thanks to the support of
Postcode Lottery players. Funds have been raised and distributed in three rounds so far.
Due to the diversity of needs, most committees chose to distribute the funds in cash. They let persons with disabilities allocate their own funds, from paying for hospital bills to using their existing skills to generate income.
Faiza is one of the disabled people that have received support.
She says:
“My only source of income is making and selling ice cream. I have benefited from ADD International’s grant. I have used the money to support my limited capital in ice cream production, and I purchased medicines for my daughter.”
Faiza, Disability Justice Activist, Sudan.
The Disability Justice Fund for Women.
Part of the funds raised by the players is helping grassroots organisations led by women with disabilities to support their work advocate for justice and equality through the Disability Justice Fund for Women grant. This is a participatory fund designed by women with disabilities in Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania, to make sure it meets the real needs of disability justice activists in these countries.
Felicity is the leader of WODAM an organisation that does skills training, disability advocacy and awareness to support women with disabilities in Ghana. This is what she says about receiving funding.
“This is our first ever grant and we are very glad to have received it. The grant making process was very flexible and we have learnt a lot through it. With the grant, we have been able to do advocacy and awareness of the African Disability Protocol, in the community and within government institutions and this has helped address discrimination and create more awareness about disability.”
Felicity.
ADD International aims support disability justice organisations and activists with funding and leadership skills to build powerful movements for change. Thanks to Postcode Lottery players for making part of this possible.
FIND OUT MORE
MTIRIRIKO – Flow
We are excited to launch our new strategy! This is an overview of our approach for the next 10 years.
GLOBAL DISABILITY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
We want to support the global network of disability justice activists to become the next generation of change makers.