Do you know there are social prejudices and discrimination towards people with disabilities all around the world? Especially, there are rising numbers of people with disabilities due to poverty, diseases, and various conflicts and wars in some countries, and it means they are more likely to have lower accessibility to medical and educational services. Thus, it requires professional welfare services that people with disabilities in the world might not be left behind in their communities, such as living in isolation or living without jobs even after they graduated their schools.  

International Development Projects for People With Disabilities in the World 

United Nations enacted UNCRPD (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) in 2006. The purpose of this convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity*. 

*UNCRPD Article 1. Purpose 

Based on UNCRPD, Miral Welfare Foundation currently runs rehabilitation projects for people with disabilities, regardless of their religions, nationalities, ethnicities, and political beliefs, in 5 countries all over the world (Malawi, Nepal, Kenya, Philippines, and Liberia). Miral Welfare Foundation focuses on delivering social welfare services based on the contexts and needs of their local communities, such as special education, vocational rehabilitation and supporting to eradicate poverty.  In 2022, 14,115 people wth disabilities in the world got supports and services through these projects. Among them, we'd like to give spotlights to vocational rehabilitation projects, which are about their financial empowerment and independence.  

Vocational Rehabilitation Projects in Other Countries

 Miral Welfare Foundation has been running vocational rehabilitation projects for people with disabilities in Nepal and in Philippines so that they can be emotionally, socially and financially empowered and live their lives fully and independently in their own communities. 

Miral's Vocational Rehabilitation Project in Nepal  

Miral Welfare Foundation has started VOICE project to provide holistic rehabilitation for PWDs, help them have their independent lives, and to achieve social inclusion of them in Nepal since 2018. It has started with the financial assistance of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and has been providing the vocational trainings for PWDs in partnership with Spinal Injury Sangh Nepal (SISN).

Almost all the trainees in VOICE center in Nepal got their disabilities by getting injured, such as from industrial accidents, car accidents, or falls. VOICE center provides them the opportunity to get vocational skills, psychological and social skills, and holistic rehabilitation with four months training for them not to get discouraged when they face any barrier from life. Furthermore, it also supports them to start their businesses or get jobs when they go back to their own community, by providing them reward packages they can use and creating a barrier-free environment for wheelchair users.

VOICE center in Napl has been raising trainees with disabilities as trainers by opening 'Advanced Sewing' class. As a result, trainees taught their neighbors and vulnerable people in their communities, such as women, teenagers and people with disabilities, who could not have accessibility to vocational trainings. Likewise, Miral Welfare Foundation takes further steps towards social inclusion where people with and without disabilities can live in harmony. 

Miral's Vocational Rehabilitation Project in Philippines 

Since 2017, people with disabilities in Philippines have been taught new skills and got their jobs, such as nail art, beauty salon or coffee making. Miral Philippines not only taught them these skills, but also created networks and supports for them to get jobs and open their own businesses. 

Miral Philippines has opened a cafe called HISBEANS Philippines in Quezon City, Manila, Philippines, where PWD baristas are making specialty coffee, since 2019. This is a Social and Solidarity Economy Project, supported by KOICA and in consortium with HISBEANS   2)

※HISBEANS: HISBEANS is the coffee brand by ‘People With Fragrance Inc.’, a social venture business for raising PWDs as specialists and making cultures of working with them.  

HISBEANS Philippines raises people with disabilities as baristas and hires them in order that they can participate actively in their communities. From here, people with disabilities learn how to make coffee and drinks, proper attitudes to their customers as they are delivering services to them, and how to maintain hygiene in cafe, and work as professional baristas. 

Although COVID19 has restricted the business during pandemic, baristas did not shrink back. Miral Philippines turned this season to prepare better sanitization and disinfection, and renovate the cafe.  Finally HISBEANS got to open again after a long wait, and it has finally become more than just a cafe, but rather a space for everyone in the community that they can enjoy their time together. 

A Society WITH People With Disabilities 

We might not be fully aware of our prejudices towards people with disabilties and discriminations from little things to big things. Because of them, we might restrict people with disabilities with their opportunities and independent lives. The world better living needs to be a society where anyone can enjoy their lives fully and independently whether they have disabilities or not. Until we create the world where everyone can live in harmony, Miral Welfare Foundation will press on. We ask your attention and warm support to vocational rehabilitations of Miral in the world.