Crafting a Pathway Through Adversity: The Tale of a Woman Who Transformed Her Limitations into Opportunities in the Realm of Employment, Using Sewing as Her Tool
In the heart of West Africa, Kadidjatou Amadou Salifou, a resilient woman from Niger, is making a significant impact in her community. Salifou, who lost the use of her legs after contracting polio at the age of two, recently joined the ICRC Career Development Programme (CDP). This initiative, a partnership between the our group Foundation and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), is designed to support people with disabilities and help them achieve their full potential in society.
Salifou's journey began when she joined a group of Nigerien tailors with disabilities on the CDP. After successfully completing her sewing diploma, she was provided with a sewing machine to continue developing her skills. Determined not to be excluded from life, Salifou overcame numerous challenges to excel in her craft.
The CDP provides tailored training, mentorship, and workplace adaptations to accommodate diverse needs, promoting accessibility and equal opportunity. This approach has empowered Salifou to secure a sustainable livelihood. She not only produces items for women and children but also trains other disabled women in the production of handmade masks.
In the face of the global pandemic, Salifou and her fellow tailors started producing face masks as part of the CDP workshops. This initiative aimed to help reduce infection risk in local communities. Salifou personally made over 4,000 masks and trained more than 20 disabled women in the production of handmade masks.
The mask production efforts were expanded into a sustainable social enterprise, employing around 300 tailors with disabilities. The social enterprise produced face masks for sale in both Niger and abroad, providing a source of income for the tailors and contributing to the local economy.
Salifou's achievements extend beyond her tailoring work. She is a multiple medal-winning athlete in various Paralympic sports, including weightlifting, javelin throwing, table tennis, and wheelchair racing. Representing Niger in numerous regional and international competitions, she has won gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Financial support from the ICRC has also helped the Nigerien Paralympic Committee to train people with disabilities and organize events promoting social inclusion. The CDP's focus on inclusion and dignity for people with disabilities aligns with broader societal goals, supporting their rights and active participation in society.
The CDP's global network of ICRC Disability Inclusion Advisors works in career development, self-employment support, and awareness-raising and partnership-building with local stakeholders. This initiative is a testament to the power of collaboration and the potential for positive change in the lives of people with disabilities.
1) Kadidjatou Amadou Salifou, a woman from Niger, is making a significant impact in her community, leading in the ICRC Career Development Programme (CDP).2) The CDP, a partnership between our group Foundation and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), supports people with disabilities to achieve their full potential.3) Salifou joined a group of Nigerien tailors with disabilities on the CDP.4) Upon completing her sewing diploma, Salifou was given a sewing machine to continue her skill development.5) Despite numerous challenges, Salifou excelled in her craft, determined not to be excluded from life.6) The CDP provides tailored training, mentorship, and workplace adaptations to accommodate diverse needs, promoting accessibility and equal opportunity.7) Empowered by the CDP, Salifou secured a sustainable livelihood, producing items for women and children and training other disabled women.8) During the global pandemic, Salifou and fellow tailors started creating face masks to help reduce infection risk in local communities.9) Salifou personally made over 4,000 masks and trained more than 20 disabled women in mask production.10) The mask production efforts grew into a sustainable social enterprise employing around 300 tailors with disabilities.11) This social enterprise produces face masks for sale in both Niger and abroad, providing income for the tailors and contributing to the local economy.12) Aside from her tailoring work, Salifou is a successful Paralympic athlete, excelling in multiple sports.13) Financial support from the ICRC boosted the Nigerien Paralympic Committee's ability to train people with disabilities and organize social inclusion events.14) The CDP's focus aligns with societal goals, supporting the rights and active participation of people with disabilities in society.15) The CDP's global network includes Disability Inclusion Advisors who work on career development, self-employment support, and partnership-building with local stakeholders.16) This initiative showcases the power of collaboration and its impact on the lives of people with disabilities.17) Science, technology, and data-and-cloud computing industries can play a significant role in the CDP's development and impact.18) Awareness of workplace-wellness, including medical-conditions like chronic diseases, cancer, and respiratory and digestive health issues, is crucial in a productive and healthy workplace.19) Eye-health, hearing, and skin-care are essential components of overall well-being, alongside mental-health and environmental science.20) Mental-health discussions have grown more common in contemporary discourse, while discussions around men's-health have gained traction as well.21) Fitness-and-exercise, sexual-health, and family-health are integral aspects of personal-growth and lifestyle choices.22) Skin-conditions and autoimmune-disorders, such as breast-cancer, require advocacy and therapies-and-treatments to address and overcome.23) Resourcefulness and skills-training can empower individuals to navigate career transitions and challenges, be it in the field of finance or education-and-self-development.24) Climate-change impacts both health and the environment and requires collective action and innovation to address.25) Parenting, sports, fashion-and-beauty, and home-and-garden are areas where diversity-and-inclusion and collaboration can foster growth and opportunity for all.
