Partnership opportunities as Digital Ambassador

Partnership opportunities as digital ambassador

“It’s amazing how much empowerment I have had by being a digital ambassador just for two years. Am more confident and can talk boldly every and anywhere. I feel “Enough” more than I have ever felt before just by being a digital ambassador on World Pulse”

Working with persons with disability is my passion. Above all empowering persons with hearing impairment who are extremely vulnerable amongst persons with disabilities due to sign language barriers, with vocational skills with the aim of improving their standard of living gives me a high sense of fulfillment of my dreams. Initially in the cause of my work the idea of partnership and collaboration sounded so abstract and impossible. I had this horrible idea in my head that it was meant for “big organization”. I let my fears over come me and stayed in my comfort zone.

All of this changed when I joined World Pulse in February 2020. I attended several trainings led by digital ambassadors and I was marveled at their performance some who had been empowered just by belonging to this beautiful sisterhood. As I read their post on the platform it changed my mindset and I began to dream big.  I longed to become a digital ambassador.

The call for application to become a World pulse digital ambassador was launched. I applied and was really excited I was accepted. This has been a dream come true. I have had so many opportunities as a result of this signs up including that of partnership and collaboration with different digital ambassadors to carry out activities.

 Association for the Empowerment of the Deaf and Vulnerable Persons (AEDVP) where I am Founder partnered with JOY2Endure Foundation where another digital ambassador Arrey Echi is founder to carry out a sexual and reproductive health outreach for girls and women with disabilities in Bamenda on the 6th of March 2022. This workshop was funded by Joy2Endure. It should be noted that Arrey lives in Yaounde located in the Central region and far off from Bamenda. She could not make it to Bamenda for reasons beyond her control, but that did not stop the workshop from holding. These are the partnership opportunities we get as digital ambassadors.

Planning was done together with Arrey online and with the input of Veronica another World Pulse digital Ambassador.

The workshop was held on the 16th of March 2022 with 29 women with disabilities in attendance. The following topics were treated. Sexual and reproductive health and genotype knowledge before child birth, Menstrual hygiene management, Gender-based violence, prevention and response. Above all sign language interpretation was ensured to cater for communication needs of the girls with hearing impairment. Three of these topics were facilitated by World pulse digital ambassadors. Again, the joy of collaboration in this beautiful sisterhood. This workshop stood out differently because most women with disabilities had the opportunity of get a lot of information on sickle cell anemia and the importance of genotype testing was explained and emphasized. This was really an eye opener to most of the women and girls with disabilities as it was the first time most of them were getting this useful information on sickle-cell disease. We are planning on Organising a genotype testing for these women in future when resources are available to do so. Although Arrey couldn’t attend she sent this lovely speech.

‘Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to have you all present today. People with disabilities are most often, relegated to the back when it comes to important awareness matters like these. Most of them get sexually active or are forced into being sexually active without a prior knowledge sexual and reproductive health and on how to take care of themselves.

In a world where each voice is important, we are trying to change this by making sure that important, life -saving information also gets to every nook and corner of our society and this includes our precious sisters dealing with disabilities 

We firmly believe none should be left behind and none should make you feel less of yourself.

It has been a challenge to put this together but with the Knowledge provided by WILD and the support and collaboration through a formidable sisterhood like World Pulse, we are here to see this come through and I pray this be the beginning of such workshops and collaborations for persons with disability.

A special thank you to all who made the time to be here today.

Thank you to Regina, Vero and everyone who stood through and made this possible. Joy2Endure Foundation is deeply grateful.

Thank you to WILD, MIUSA for this opportunity and to World Pulse for an amazing Sister hood.

Let's continue to rise above our disabilities and be the force that we are!

Thank you all once again”

All thanks to this partnership I was fully engaged in the advocacy on sickle cell anemia during the month of June this year. I dressed up in bright red colours and posted photographs alongside with advocacy messages almost every day on my socials. This attracted a lot of attention; questions asked and gave me lots of opportunities to raise awareness on sickle cell disease. A few people have promised going to test their genotype.