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📆 June & July Recap: Lessons in Inclusion, Gaps in Systems, and the Road Ahead



Faith Abled Foundation entered June and July with momentum, hope, and a clear mission: to advocate for the rights and dignity of differently abled Namibians. What we encountered was both inspiring and sobering—a reminder that inclusion is still aspirational, not yet institutional.


🌍 Highlights from the Field


These months were filled with outreach, engagement, and discovery:

  • NGOs in the Spotlight (June 14, FNCC) where we joined 24 Namibian NGOs in a vibrant showcase of social impact. The energy was high, but the conversations revealed how disability inclusion remains underrepresented, even in spaces meant to celebrate diversity.


  • Commonwealth Business Summit (June 18–20, Windhoek) A powerful platform that brought together leaders from 56 nations. The theme— “Harnessing Commonwealth Trade for Shared Prosperity”—was bold. Yet, even here, we saw how inclusion for differently abled people is often left out of economic dialogues, despite the emphasis on MSMEs, youth, and women.


  • Good Food Market (June 27, Village Garden) We were thankful to co-host a stand with Umbrella Initiatives to raise awareness and collect donations for Braille printing. The response was warm, we even got donations of baby nappies and NUDO milk, but the underlying issue remained: Braille access is still treated as a niche concern, not a national priority.



🧱 Challenges That Shaped Us


These experiences weren’t just events—they were lessons. And they revealed systemic gaps that must be addressed:


  • Braille Printing Search   Despite weeks of outreach—referrals, public bids, social media posts—we couldn’t secure a single viable Braille printing partner. This isn’t just a service gap. It’s a rights gap. It shows how basic accessibility tools are still unavailable, even in urban centers.

  • Low Public Awareness   Many Namibians still view disability through a lens of charity, not rights. We encountered well-meaning support—but also misconceptions, tokenism, and silence.

  • Fragmented Support Systems   From education to healthcare, the systems designed to support differently-abled people are often disconnected, underfunded, or absent altogether. Families are left to navigate complex challenges alone. Meanwhile, professionals and entrepreneurs within the disability community remain overlooked, undervalued, and excluded from national development conversations.


🛑 Why We Postponed Our Launch


Faith Abled Foundation was meant to officially launch on August 23rd. But we’ve postponed—not because of logistics, but because of conviction.

We realized that:

  • We need deeper groundwork before we launch

  • We must first educate, advocate, and build trust

  • We must ensure our systems reflect the dignity and rights we stand for


🔭 What Comes Next


We’re not stepping back—we’re stepping deeper.

Faith Abled Foundation will now focus on:

  • Building inclusive partnerships with service providers, educators, and policymakers

  • Creating awareness campaigns that center human rights, not charity

  • Developing systems for sustainable support: Braille access, mobility aid distribution, and family empowerment

  • Preparing a launch that reflects the depth and dignity of our mission


🤝 Join the Movement


Support sustainable inclusion. Partner with us, fund a project, or share your expertise. Email faithabledfoundation@gmail.com or connect via LinkedIn/WhatsApp. If you believe in a Namibia where inclusion is non-negotiable, join us. You could be a donor, designer, educator, policymaker, or parent—there’s a role for you in this movement.


Let’s Empower every Voice and Enable Every Ability.


 
 
 

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