What does dignified work look like when the barriers to work are significant?
This is one of the questions the We Can Work rural academy in Kano is helping us explore.
Over the past three years, the We Can Work programme has supported young women and men with disabilities to transition into work through job placements and entrepreneurial support in Lagos, Bwari and Kwali area councils in Abuja, Nigeria.
But for young people with disabilities living in rural communities, particularly those with severe or multiple impairments, economic participation can require much more than access to training or employment opportunities.
Barriers to basic amenities, mobility, communication and decision-making can be compounded by the level of support and accommodation required. In some cases, young people depend heavily on caregivers for everyday activities, including mobility, eating and making decisions.
The rural academy is giving us an opportunity to look more closely at what empowerment and dignified work can mean in these realities.
Already, we are seeing shifts beyond the participants themselves. Through the core life skills training, caregivers are recognising the importance of personal hygiene and are becoming more intentional about how they support youth with disabilities.
For some families, the journey has also come with significant financial strain. Parents have spent considerable amounts seeking treatment when their children first acquired their impairments, most times depleting already limited household resources.
So, what does it take to create pathways to dignified and fulfilling work when the starting point is this complex?
We are here to listen, learn and document what works, and what needs to change, to ensure that young people with severe disabilities in rural communities are not left out of opportunities to work, contribute and shape their own futures.
