Blanchardstown disability group twins with Ethiopian counterpart

Just when you had forgotten about all those millennium celebrations along comes another. In the calendar of faraway Ethiopia they have just celebrated the millennium and in order to mark that occasion a twinning has been announced between Blanchardstown Centre for Independent Living (CIL) and its equivalent in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Last year Community Voice reported on the work of Michael Ryan, a resident of Castleknock, who works with the Centres for Independent Living, a national disability support agency which helps people with disabilities to live as independently as possible. On that occasion he was travelling to Addis Ababa to help in the establishment of such a centre in the Ethiopian capital.

He worked with six local people with disabilities to set up an office, source equipment, induct them in the ways of independent living, facilitate their own exploration of possibilities in Ethiopia and go through the process of becoming a legally recognised entity.

The project was overseen by Michael Seifu, a disabled man from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, who is studying for a PhD in Economics back in Dublin at DCU. Michael is a disability activist in Ethiopia and has written much on the problems of independent living in Ethiopia where, as in many African counties, there is little government recognition of such problems.

The Ethiopian Centre for Independent Living aims to break through the social and physical barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating in mainstream life. They also aim to get legislation amended so that these people are given equal rights and opportunities.

The Blanchardstown Centre for Independent Living will continue to support its African counterpart to keep up the fight for equality and hopes to bring some of the members of the Ethiopian CIL to Ireland to train them in independent living skills.

Anyone who would like to contribute to this program can contact Michael Ryan tel. 01 827 0609 or e-mail michaelryan@dublincil.org.
Contributions can also be made to the “Overseas Aid fund” at Bank of Ireland, College Green, D2 – a/c no: 62597658, Sort Code: 90-00-17.

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