1. Mwangaza Low vision Inclusive Education Project
A Congo Handicap Project.
By Kapele Lusumba, Coordinator.

2. Presentation summary :
1. Presentation of Congo Handicap, the project leader
organisation.
2. Project justification and context.
2.1 Mwangaza project
2.2 Fungulo project
3. Project Monitoring and evaluation tools.

3. 1. Presentation of Congo handicap.
Congo Handicap the leader of the project has been founded by a group of disabled people, in 2007 who came together after noticing a lack of appropriate services for the benefit of disabled.
The main aim of Congo Handicap is to empower disabled people and people living with any kind of disability living in the South-Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, by helping them access information, training, employment and assist them to lead a normal life as normal bodied people. Congo Handicap is a Congolese human Right organisation, working the prevention and the protection of people living with disability by supporting them in economic, medical, educational and professional.
Mwangaza project will be delivered in a partnership of 10 NGO’s : SAPH,CAPH,CEREHA,HANDICAP GRAND LAC, CEFOPAH,WIMAN WITH DISABILIES,MAPENDO,ACOLDEMA and the MCA : Christian Mission for the Blind and Illiteracy.

4. 2. Project Context and justification:
A research conducted by Congo handicap and his Partners, has revealed that 90% of the main cause of blindness and low vision in The south region of Kivu, are considered as treatable eye diseases or treatable causes of blindness by the World health organization. These causes are: senile cataract (50%), glaucoma (15%), refractive errors (12%), Childhood blindness (5.2%), onchocerciasis (1.5%), diabetic retinopathy (1%) and other causes. All these conditions can be treated and cured.
Furthermore several studies conducted by Sightsavers international in east Africa provide evidence that many children who are considered and treated as blind are not, and are actually low vision children and could attend mainstream schools with only a little specialist support.
. In short, many children are excluded from all sphere of life due to a condition that can be prevented or cured.

5. Congo Handicap believe then that a proper Screening/ examination followed by a successfully medical, optical or surgical interventions will help many children to see to the light, to see MWANGAZA and then remove barriers to education for some, and send many disabled children of sight to school.

6. Also, several studies conducted by Congo handicap and partners organisations, have come to a conclusion that POVERTY AND DISABILITY GO HAND IN HAND, CREATING A CYCLE THAT'S HARD TO ESCAPE.
There is a need to help disable people break the barrier of poverty by learning new skills to earn a living, support their families and be recognized as a contributing members of their community.

7. This will be the KEY “FUNGULO” to increasing their confidence and income, promote their self-esteem and independence and increase their participation in the society.

8. 2.1 Mwangaza project
Target group: children with curable aye problems or low vision disability who are not attending or just start attending school, living in Kabare and Walungu
Project objectives:
- Promote inclusive education for children with low vision in 6 government schools in Kabare and Walungu.
- Conduct activities to tackle avoidable Blindness in the same area.
The expected result:
- Over 200 children with disabilities will be Screened, examined and referred for medical, optical, surgical and rehabilitative interventions;
- 50children with disabilities will enroll to the Midway class for assistive device practice and inclusive education;
- Enroll 150 children into formal schools after a successful medical/ optical/surgical interventions;
- Train 30 school teachers and 15 head teachers on identification of low vision children and on inclusive education technics for low vision children;
- 20 Special teachers will be trained to support teachers and families of low vision children;
- 30 General volunteer will be trained to identify children with low vision disability ;

9. Activities: Awareness raising activities, Target group identification, Reference to a partner organisation, Midway Class, Training of Special Teachers and General volunteer, Inclusive education, assisting schools with educational and assistive materials, Improving Congo handicap capacity building, Setting up a disability advocacy team.

10. 2.2 Fungulo project:Microcredit project to benefit Gils and women with disability living in Bukavu and central district of the rural area of Kabare , Walungu, Mwenga and Uvira.
The project objectives:
Help Disable Gils and woman living in Bukavu, Kabare, and Walungu to break the barriers of poverty so that they can earn themselves a leaving and take care of their families.
The project target group: 60 applicants in each district.
Expected result:
- At least180 Disabled women will learn new skills and have access to a startup loan to engage in small business.
- Poverty will be tackled and more disabilities prevented.
- The community will change the way it sees disability
Project activities: the target group will be trained in several activities (poultry rearing, farming skills, journalism, soap fabrication…) and will be supported with a seed loan in combination with a basic business training.

11. Project Budget: 300.000 $ US more details on project printing.
3. Monitoring indicators and tools
These be used during the lifetime of the project, and will be carried out by Congo handicap and its partner, and all the stakeholders in the project (partners, trained peer educators, local government officers, and volunteers)
(1) Record of children and adults disabled and participants in different activities of the project
(2) Record of organizations providing support (recorded anecdotal evidence, communication records, minutes of meetings, health records, court files,
(3) Social mapping, production of seasonal diagrams and overall project evaluation based on the result of the above evaluations
(4) Verbal, electronic and written feedbacks
(5) Production of a final report of the project
The project will also have a strong element of user involvement, as Congo Handicap’s management team is disabled-led. To start, the project has been developed in consultation with a panel of beneficiaries. Congo Handicap has been working with the targeted group of the project for long time, period during which the needs of the project have been identified. Despite this, nothing could be done due the lack of funding.
Project Budget: $ US more details on project printing.