Global Vision Conference sets course for the next 100 years
Giving hope to many more persons with disabilities
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- Kenya's Vice President Moody Awori (middle) talks with Dan Ward, CBM's Regional Representative for East Africa Region, and Professor Allen Foster, President of CBM (left). © CBM
CBM’s first ever Global Vision conference – to improve the lives of more people and families tragged in poverty by disability – was declared open on Monday in Mombasa by the Kenyan Vice President H. E. Moody Awori. “I want to congratulate first of all CBM for their remarkable work over the last 100 years and I want donors to know that CBM is like an angel in developing countries.”
Kenya’s Vice President has been involved in CBM’s work since 1963 when he started serving as the chairman of CBM’s partner organisation Association of Persons with Disabilities Kenya (APDK), the largest professional organisation for persons with disabilities in Kenya. Since then Awori has been committed to mainstreaming disability into all aspects of Kenyan society and policies, including the disability rights act of 2003.
Kenya’s Vice President has been involved in CBM’s work since 1963 when he started serving as the chairman of CBM’s partner organisation Association of Persons with Disabilities Kenya (APDK), the largest professional organisation for persons with disabilities in Kenya. Since then Awori has been committed to mainstreaming disability into all aspects of Kenyan society and policies, including the disability rights act of 2003.
Kenya's Vice President Moody Awori: "Persons with disabilities are the most underpriviledged"
CBM’s Global Vision conference was opened with an inspiring speech by the Kenyan Vice President „For us in developing countries to achieve the millennium development goals, we need a lot of assistance – and among the underprivileged, persons with disabilities are the most underprivileged.“ The Vice President stayed to listen to the opening speech of CBM’s international President, Professor Allen Foster, who explained that CBM’s vision to improve the quality of life of persons with disability is based on God’s love for all humanity.
Foster continued that the challenge facing CBM, as a disability and development organization, is huge with 650 million persons with disabilities in need of basic education and medical services and inclusion in all aspects of society as a human right. “After 100 years of developing expertise in direct service delivery, it is the right time for CBM to embrace our full mandate and to work with partners, clients, governments and with other development organizations to improve the quality of life of persons with disability living in underprivileged ares of the world”, says Foster.
Foster continued that the challenge facing CBM, as a disability and development organization, is huge with 650 million persons with disabilities in need of basic education and medical services and inclusion in all aspects of society as a human right. “After 100 years of developing expertise in direct service delivery, it is the right time for CBM to embrace our full mandate and to work with partners, clients, governments and with other development organizations to improve the quality of life of persons with disability living in underprivileged ares of the world”, says Foster.
"CBM will grow together with its partners"
In reaching CBM’s goal on behalf of persons with disabilities, a good dynamic organization with leadership is vital. “Allen Foster is a remarkable leader and the conference’s start has inspired us all to implement our vision”, says Ruediger Wenzel, Vice President of Human Resources.
“We have to decide, where we want to go from here and how to grow together with our partners to better improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities and those at risk of disability in the future”, says Matthias Spaeth, Vice President for Programme Development.
Go back: News
“We have to decide, where we want to go from here and how to grow together with our partners to better improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities and those at risk of disability in the future”, says Matthias Spaeth, Vice President for Programme Development.
Go back: News
