Project

More about the project

The “Empowered” project aims to enhance the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in the Western Balkans. The project is led by the German organization Arbeiter Samariter Bund Deutschland e.V. and is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany. It will last from September 1, 2024, to April 30, 2028 (a total of 44 months).

Partners:
• LIR Civil Society (LIR CD)
• PREDA Plus
• Alfa Center
• Community Development Institute (CDI)
• Initiative for Development and Cooperation (IDC)
• Albanian Disability Rights Foundation (ADRF)

The main goal of the project is to promote the inclusion of PwDs through regional cooperation and development in the Western Balkans. Specifically, the project aims to empower PwDs and their organizations through regional dialogue and advocacy, sharing best practices, and jointly developing community support systems. During the project, PwDs and their organizations will use forums for regional dialogue and networking to define needs at the local, national, and regional levels. By sharing best practices related to partnerships between the public, private, and civil sectors, the project will lay the foundation for restructuring social investment funds to better support PwD inclusion.

In this context, it is expected that 500 individuals from the public, private, and civil sectors – especially organizations representing PwDs – will benefit from the experiences gained through partnerships and capacity-building activities. This will lead to improved social, educational, and employment services in 15 target municipalities.

Additionally, the project aims to provide access to community services for 21,500 PwDs, including training programs, inclusion workshops, and psychosocial support, along with new or updated policies. Efforts will also be made to reach at least one million people through social and traditional media to raise awareness of the challenges faced by PwDs in the Western Balkans.

To achieve these goals, several sub-objectives have been identified. First, the capacities of stakeholders in the public, private, and civil sectors, especially PwD organizations, will be strengthened for effective cooperation and advocacy. By the end of the first year of the project, a Regional Working Group will be formed, including 18 representatives from the six participating countries. Two regional ministerial conferences will be held, bringing together 75 participants to promote high-level political support for PwD rights, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of PwDs.

In the target communities, representatives from various sectors will enhance their ability to coordinate and implement joint initiatives that promote social investments in education and employment for over 20,000 PwDs. During implementation, recommendations on effective partnerships between the public, private, and civil sectors will be developed.

Furthermore, 1,500 PwDs will benefit from improved local infrastructure and services, with a particular focus on skill development and employability. Through targeted local inclusion projects, PwDs will improve their skills through vocational education and training programs, alongside psychosocial support and counseling to enhance their labor market competencies.

By the project’s conclusion, local project partners will work to build stronger partnerships for more effective support to vulnerable individuals, especially PwDs. The “Empowered” project represents a significant step towards advancing the rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities in the Western Balkans, fostering an inclusive environment for PwDs to work and live.

The overall objective – Persons with disabilities and organizations of PwDs in the Western Balkans region strengthen their position through regional dialogue and advocacy, best practices, and jointly developed community-based support for PwDs.

Specific objectives:
A1. Capacities of public, private and civil sector stakeholders, esp. organizations of PwDs , for cooperation, networking and the voicing of needs of PwDs at the regional Western Balkans level are strengthened.
B1. Representatives from the public, private and civil sectors in 15 Western Balkan communities strengthen capacities to coordinate, plan and implement joint initiatives that promote social investment in education, employment and inclusion for more than 20.000 PwDs in the targeted communities.
C1. 1500 PwDs in WB6 improve their skills, employability and access to services in their local communities.
D1. At the end of the project, 6 local project partners from WB6 countries are enabled to work together and better support vulnerable individuals, esp. persons with disabilities, consistent with project goals.

Results:

A1.1.1. One Regional Working Group on PwD Inclusion composed of 18 representatives from 6 Balkan countries is established by the end of the first project year.
A1.1.2. Two regional Ministerial Conferences offer space for exchange between 75 regional, national and local stakeholders from 6 Balkan countries and mobilize high-level political support for the rights of PwDs in the WB6 region in line with the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of PwDs.
A1.2. At least 100 representatives from public, civil and private sectors at the operational level, participants of two Trilateral Working Conferences and the study visit, benefit from cross-sectoral and cross-country exchange of know-how and best practices for inclusion of PwDs in WB6.
A1.3. Six WB social ministries adopt a joint Declaration on Inclusion of PwDs in the Western Balkans by the end of the project.
A1.4. Organizations of PwDs in 6 Balkan countries are enabled to conduct Regional Advocacy Campaigns as well as for national/local Visibility campaigns for better inclusion of PwDs in their communities and in the WB6.
B.2.1. Guide developed through the project provides practical information on effective Public-Private-Civil partnerships to at least 100 participants from the public, private and civil society sectors during 3 bilateral thematic workshops.
B2.2. 15 target municipalities together with representatives of the local civil and private sectors jointly adopt or revise their Local Inclusion Plans in line with the needs of 20,000 PwDs.
B2.3. 225 local stakeholders from PPC sector increase their project design and implementation capacities through joint development of 30 Local Inclusion Projects.
C3.1. Infrastructure and services at the local level for at least 1,500 PwDs (at least 50% women) are improved through 30 Local Inclusion Projects (on average 2 project per targeted community).
C3.2. At least 300 PwDs improve their skills and employment potential through tailored and certified VET or other Work Integration Programs.
C3.3. At least 600 PwDs receive psychosocial and/or career counselling through inclusion workshops.
D4.1. Local executing agencies’ staff (at least 25) complete trainings and a Training of Trainers (ToT) module and improve their knowledge and skills in labour market integration of PwDs, Project Cycle Management (PCM), monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) in PwDs inclusion programs.
D4.2. Participants in 4 partnership workshops (at least 25 staff from 6 local executing agencies with support of ASB and its regional offices) are enabled to exchange best practices, plan joint project activities and develop capacities for coordination of regional projects.