Nana’s Story of Change from Niger: “On the road to power” (Part 1/3)
Prior to the “Let’s Be Young Farmers” programme implementation the youth in Kulon Progo Regency did not see much of a future in farming and working the land was not considered a viable career option. A few youths who desired to farm faced the challenge of the poor rural infrastructure, their lack of access to land and low levels of farming expertise, technical knowledge and skills of modern farming. Ardi mentioned that in his village young farmers were very few and that others might not be interested in becoming farmers. Farming was not seen as a viable choice.
In Niger, in some rural communes, it is becoming commonplace for women, because they are women and because they have no schooling, to be stripped of their right to access political decision-making bodies. The issue of women’s involvement in decision- making continues to be a hot topic despite the many initiatives and strategies that have been put in place to take into account women’s participation, both through texts and through the level of application of these texts. “I have suffered a lot alongside men in politics because of my ‘female status’ and because I am illiterate. This was a barrier for me therefore I had withdrawn my candidacy in the local elections. The men in my political party made me believe that an illiterate woman is not eligible.”
Palemo was born with a bow leg and grew up feeling excluded. Her bones were brittle from birth and even with corrective surgery, she had to walk around with visible metals inserted in her legs. She also needed the aid of crutches to move around. She lacked the confidence to raise her voice against the social ills she endured in society and the social injustices she witnessed in her community. Palemo states that an incident at the mall where a child screamed and cried upon seeing her was her lowest moment. Her mother, in an effort to protect her, secluded her from her peers and she spent most of her time in her room. Being excluded socially from her peers brought her a lot of mental health stress and anguish because she missed socialising with her peers.
Nabatanzi had been struggling to support her family. As the family’s sole breadwinner, she works all kinds of jobs including daily farming labour, food vending, and hawking and she also rents land to grow food for sale. Nabatanzi’s commitment which sees her push very hard to providefood and meet all the academic needs of her 5 children is driven by a desire to ensure her children get a bright future and to one day prove to the husband who abandoned her that her determination and hard work was not in vain. Nabatanzi’s Story of Change from Uganda: “Vulnerable mother sees light at the end of the tunnel” (Part 1/3)
Figure 14: Metta, a rightsholder from Laos
Palemo’s Story of Change from Nigeria: “creative youth booth camp” (Part 1/3)
These stories show that limited access to resources and employment, limited access to social services, as well as limited spaces for participation and engagement in society have harmful effects on the physical, emotional, and social wellbeing of rightsholders. Moreover, rightsholders that are part of several rightsholder groups often experience intersecting effects of discrimination and marginalisation that may be mutually reinforcing in their harmful effects on the rightsholders’ lives. The Outcome Statements submitted to Voice throughout the outcome portfolio, show that there were many instances of
individuals or grantee partners meeting with government officials face-to face to exchange views and negotiate action. In the context of marginalisation and discrimination of particular groups, this was often the first time they did so. Many of them did not previously believe that they could actually approach governments. For example, in Nigeria, the fact that one woman with disabilities contested for a seat in the house of representatives in her constituency during the 2019 General Elections, became a motivational factor for other women with disabilities who started to see themselves as potential agents of change for leadership development and community service delivery.
Meta’s Story of Change from Laos: “Endelss passion for development work” (Part 1/3)
“Metta mentioned that the level of acceptance from family and community members has been the most crucial for LGBTI people in the community because most Lao parents and community members do not understand SOGIE. LGBTI children in a family do not usually receive equal support from their family members as do other children. And after growing up, transgender men and women face violence in school and community because of their gender identity.
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