The ‘Building Advocacy Capacity in Africa’ Project aims to strengthen a genuine cross-disability and inclusive disability movement, using the human rights approach, and building leadership amongst persons with disability for advocacy.
The project, with its initiation on January 1, 2013 is being implemented in Malawi and Burundi. This Project will entail the following components:
- Strengthening the DPI Regional Development Office (RDO) in Africa and the Member National Assemblies in the two target countries.
- Fact finding missions and need assessment surveys to understand the current disability scenario, the existing gaps and the needs of persons with disabilities in the two countries.
- Training Workshops on understanding and implementing CRPD, roles and functions of DPOs, advocacy and human rights.
Project Countries

Burundi
The Republic of Burundi is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa, bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. The capital of Burundi is Bujumbura.
Burundi is primarily a French speaking nation. According to the International Monetary Fund’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita report, it is one of the five poorest countries in the world.
Burundi signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol in 2007 but has not yet ratified them.

Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa that is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west.
Malawi is primarily an English speaking nation. According to the International Monetary Fund’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita report, Burundi is one of the ten poorest countries in the world.
Malawi ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol in 2009.
Fact Finding Mission and One day Preliminary Workshops

DPI-Burundi & other representatives with DPI Chairperson in Bujumbura, Burundi during the first fact finding mission.

Representatives of DPI-Malawi with DPI-Vice Chair, Rachel Kachaje during the first fact Finding mission in Malawi.

DPI-Burundi & other representatives with DPI Chairperson in Bujumbura, Burundi during the first fact finding mission.

Representatives of DPI-Malawi with DPI-Vice Chair, Rachel Kachaje during the first fact Finding mission in Malawi.
One of the first on-ground activities under this project was a fact finding mission and a one day preliminary workshop held in both Burundi and Malawi. The aim of these missions were to meet various stakeholders in each countries – members of the National Assemblies, other DPOs, persons with disabilities, representatives of the Government, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), key NGOs and United Nations organizations. These meetings would help in gathering information, to understand, discuss and analyze challenges and needs and to get an idea of the work that needs to be done to strengthen the disability movement in these two countries.
Module 1 Workshops in Burundi and Malawi
A five day workshop was held in both Burundi and Malawi under the aegis of the project, the main aim of which was to familiarize DPOs and persons with disabilities with the UNCRPD. The workshops saw representation from Disabled Peoples’ Organizations, Governments and partners of the National Assemblies of each country.
- Click here to view the report of the Workshop held in Burundi (6.82 MB)
- Click here to view the report of the Workshop held in Malawi (177 KB)
For any questions, please write to us at secretariat[dot]dpi(at)gmail[dot]com
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