Persons Living with Disabilities PWDs in the North West Region have made strides that earned thunderous applause for them to have morphed from the receiving and beneficiary end to become development architects and humanitarian response actors. These efforts have not escaped the notice of the government of Cameroon.
The NW Regional Delegate of Social Affairs, Nkwate Rebecca at a press conference and Launch of phase 4:Leave No One Behind (LNOB4) project organized by Coordinating Unit of Associations of Persons With Disabilities CUAPWD in Bamenda on Thursday July 17th 2025, commended the tireless efforts they have made to be managers of their projects and organizers of their own events.
"I wish to particularly commend CUAPWD whose tireless efforts have transformed the lives of thousands of persons with disabilities in this region," she praised.
She furthered that CUAPWD over the years has championed disability inclusion in humanitarian actions and has produced evidence through need assessment of over 12000 persons with disabilities.
Government on her part she continued has played the role of consistent prioritization of rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Stating that government has always made sure the legal framework to combat discrimination is strengthened, has expanded education and vocational training making it accessible and has been supporting OPDs as key partners in policy designing and implementation.
Sama Chick the coordinator of CUAPWD for the North West Region in making an overview of the project proudly affirmed that as far as disability associations in Cameroon are concerned, the North West Region is well structured.
He said Phase 4 -"Leave No One Behind": Mainstreaming in Global and Local Humanitarian Action in line with Inter-Agency Standing Committee IASC Guidelines on Inclusion, has a number objectives to attain.
The coordinator of CUAPWD revealed that this project funded by Christian Blind Mission CBM and supported by German Federal Foreign Office through German Humanitarian Assistance shall be to strengthen capacities of humanitarian actors not for humanitarian assistance.
In that regard he stated that OPD leaders shall be trained, capture and bring data of all persons with disabilities in the region, carryout advocacy at different levels for sustainable solution, support humanitarian organizations and actors and build capacity of CUAPWD staff.
Leave No One Behind LNOB4 project, it should be noted is a "humanitarian to humanitarian" as opposed to "humanitarian to beneficiaries" and shall be implemented within period of 1st January 2025 to 31st March 2027.
During a panel discussion at the Launch involving some stakeholders, emphasis was laid on conscious and intentional disability inclusion practices. Concluding that humanitarian project designing, planning, execution and evaluation should involve PWDs.
They equally underscored the fact that barriers and gaps that are stumbling blocks and frustrating PWDs in the community, coming from attitudes, policies, environment and communication should be fought with the last energy and cleared.
In reaction to the issue of gap challenges, Che Jessica Bih, CBCHS Inclusive Development Officer said one of the gaps noticed on the field that is affecting persons with disabilities during humanitarian crisis is inclusive disaster risk reduction.
She suggested that community members should be educated to put people in focal points in the community where in case of any disaster they can check on PWDs in their midst and take them along should they have to move away from the area.
By Ndimbe Usman
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