Skills Training of 100 Persons with Disabilities

With Coronavirus cases under control in Pakistan, and the country opening up for routine activities, NOWPDP also resumed its training center after assessing the situation and making strict rules to ensure the safety and comfort of trainees, trainers, and staff.

Under the COVID-19 protocols of mouth-covering and social distancing, NOWPDP initiated its in-person training by organizing a Refresher Course for the individuals who were trained virtually.

Moreover, NOWPDP restarted its Rickshaw Training for people with physical disabilities. Thus, allowing them to learn to drive a retrofitted rickshaw and earn livelihood on their own terms. Out of the several trainees, 3 have also been employed by NOWPDP’s social enterprise initiative as loader drivers.

NOWPDP has also initiated the Screen-printing training and is in the process of creating opportunities of employment for individuals with disabilities who will be completing their trainings after honing their artistic skills by learning the art of screen-printing.

Mobile repair trainings have also resumed. This particular training required mandatory in-person presence because of the nature of the task. Therefore, the resumption came as a blessing for those people with disabilities who wanted to acquire this skill and establish their own small mobile-related businesses or work at a local shop as mobile repair technicians.

The new batch of Computer Operator training for Deaf individuals has also been inducted and classes have started. Whereas, the batch of the same training for people with physical disabilities will be starting soon.

NOWPDP is also introducing a new trade in collaboration with Pakistan’s leading textile firm. The trade is called Dry Processing and the trainings are starting soon at NOWPDP’s premises. The collaboration with the textile firm will ensure that the trained individuals are placed at jobs in their factory.

To complement various training taking place at NOWPDP’s Training Center, and to ensure that the trained individuals achieve their goal of employment, and thus, economic empowerment, the Employment team of NOWPDP – Yaqeeen – has initiated a campaign titled 100Days100Lives. The goal of this campaign to place 100 individuals at a job by the end of 2020. With this campaign, we are aiming to create an environment of inclusiveness at workplaces and are hoping to lay the foundation for thousands of jobs for our trainees and the entire community of people with disabilities living in Pakistan.

* Necessary permission has been taken from the beneficiaries for using their pictures for this report.