WILD Seed Grants Program

Building on the momentum of the Women's Institute on Leadership and Disability(WILD), WILD seed grants are supporting initiatives that offer promise for effective inclusion and participation of women and girls with disabilities in international development. In January 2013, MIUSA awarded eleven grants to WILD alumni.

Read more about our WILD grantees' projects:

Vianney Paola Sierralta Aracena
Country: Chile
Organization: Agrupación Regional de Personas Viviendo con el VIH/SIDA (ARPEVIH)
Grant Award: $1,000
Project: Informing Deaf Women of Chile about HIV/AIDS
ARPEVIH is a Chile-based organization whose primary mission is to empower and support those living with HIV/AIDS. Vianney Sierralta will work with ARPEVIH on a project to increase access to information regarding HIV/AIDs and reproductive and sexual rights to deaf women and girls. In particular, they will inform deaf women and girls of their rights under the Chilean HIV/AIDS law. The proposed project involves recording workshops and information on videos utilizing Chilean Sign language interpretation and subtitles. Eighty CDs will be distributed to various civil society organizations, deaf women and girls, disabled people’s organizations and women’s associations. The videos will also be made available through social networks such as YouTube.

Smitha Sadasivan
Country: India
Organization: TEJAS
Grant Award: $1,000
Project: Developing an Information Package on Reproductive Health, Reproductive Rights and Sexuality for Women with Disabilities in the State of Tamil Nadu
TEJAS, a self-advocacy group for women with disabilities, will collaborate with international and national mainstream women’s organizations, Women in Development (IWID), East West Centre for Counseling and Training, and Women’s Collective, to create an information package on reproductive health, reproductive rights and sexuality for women with disabilities. The collaboration will also include the expertise of a sexuality consultant and public health consultant. The information package will be distributed in accessible formats throughout the various districts of Tamil Nadu. The project will also educate the involved mainstream organizations on disability issues through the process, so that they will include women with disabilities in their future activities, programs and services. After the project is completed, TEJAS will continue to work with the organizations and consultants to conduct orientation programs on sexuality, reproductive health care, sexually transmitted diseases and the available support services for women with disabilities in different parts of the State of Tamil Nadu.

Zuwera Fuseini
Country: Ghana
Organization: Mental Health Society of Ghana (MEHSOG)
Grant Award: $990
Project: Increasing knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS among fifty women and girls with psychosocial disabilities in Salaga Ambrase
The Mental Health Society of Ghana (MEHSOG) will implement an HIV/AIDS education project working in partnership with BasicNeeds, an international development organization. MEHSOG aims to promote the socio-economic wellbeing of people with mental illness and/or epilepsy and advocate for the advancement of mental health. Persons with psychosocial disabilities are one of the most vulnerable groups affected by HIV/AIDS in Ghana, though they are often excluded from most educational and sensitization programs. The workshop will inform 50 girls and women with psychosocial disabilities on the issues of HIV/AIDS and reproductive rights.

Farida Akther
Country: Bangladesh
Organization: Disability Rights Movement (DRM)
Grant Award: $1,000
Project: Promoting Women with Disabilities as empowered human beings with dignity through networking meetings with 5 development NGOs
Disability Rights Movement (DRM) is a non-governmental organization in Bangladesh that strives towards empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring their basic human rights. DRM will implement a project focusing on disability inclusion in various sectors: employment, inclusive education, empowerment, reproductive health and information technology. DRM will collaborate with five development organizations of Chittagong which includes: Unite Theatre for Social Action, Young Power in Social Action, Songsoptaque, Nowzuwan, and Borony. The project consists of a series of networking meetings with the development NGOs. Meetings will result in increased participation by people with disabilities in NGO programs, including 20 women with disabilities trained in skill development, five children with disabilities attending inclusive schools, five women with disabilities employed in government agencies or NGOs, and 10 women with disabilities having accessed health support from governmental, non-governmental organizations, or the Medical Centre. 

Sarah Akinola
Country: Nigeria
Organization: The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities Nigeria (JONAPWD)
Grant Award: $1,000
Project: Workshop on mainstreaming issues of Persons with Disabilities in Civil Society, Legislative and Advocacy programs
The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities Nigeria (JONAPWD) is an organization committed to addressing the training, rehabilitation, social and recreational needs of persons with disabilities in Nigeria. JONAPWD will work in partnership with Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC) to ensure that people with disabilities are included in all of CISLAC’s programs by conducting trainings for CISLAC staff. In addition, JONAPWD will expand their steering committee to include a representative of CISLAC as a member, which will enable a continuous relationship between the two organizations.

Zaruhi Batoyan
Country: Armenia
Organization: Bridge of Hope
Grant Award: $980
Project: Go Ahead Girls
Zaruhi Batoyan will implement a project to increase public awareness of the challenges faced by women with disabilities, and the need for creating better accommodations and inclusive services. She will partner with the Women’s Resource Centre Armenia (WRCA), a feminist organization that aims to empower women to become active citizens of the Armenian community. The proposed project involves multiple components and will also be supported by Bridge of Hope, Ms. Batoyan’s organization. Initially, WRCA staff will be trained on how to make their programs more inclusive of women with disabilities. WRCA will then provide a reciprocal training series for 25 women with disabilities on issues ranging from women’s rights, women’s health, and sexual and reproductive rights. In addition, a blog will be created to allow women with disabilities from various regions to share their experiences, access information and develop a support network. Another component of the project includes training 12 journalists to develop their public journalism skills when addressing disabled women’s issues. The project will conclude with a press conference for other NGOs and the media, in which women with disabilities will present the challenges they face, the importance of developing inclusive services, the blog and their work.  

Norma Corina de Leon Vasquez
Country: Guatemala
Organization: Association of Women with Disabilities Quetzaltenango (AMUDIQ)
Grant Award: $1,000
Project: Municipal Authorities and People with Disabilities “Rights and Duties”
The Association of Women with Disabilities Quetzaltenango (AMUDIQ)’s mission is to represent and empower women with disabilities to achieve independent living conditions of genuine equality. AMUDIQ will work in partnership with the Interior Department of Quetzaltenango to bring a woman with a disability from each municipality in Quetzaltenango to participate in monthly municipal mayors meeting. At every meeting each month, an hourly slot will be dedicated to focusing on issues pertaining to people and women with disabilities. Upon completion, participants will have a better understanding of their rights to representation in their community and better living conditions. A certificate of participation will be issued to all graduates. AMUDIQ and the Interior Department of Quetzaltenango will continue to work with the graduates and follow up on trainings.

Sally Nyakanyanga
Country: Zimbabwe
Organization: The Epilepsy Support Foundation of Zimbabwe
Grant Award: $1,000
Project: Differently Abled Website
Viewing information and knowledge as a source of power, Sally Nyakanyanga will develop a website dedicated to exploring and articulating a range of disabled women’s issues. The website will be a forum to raise awareness in the Zimbabwean community and other countries on disabled women issues and offer solutions. Her organization, the Epilepsy Support Foundation of Zimbabwe, will also provide support with content and personnel to develop the website. Ms. Nyakanyanga will invite several disability organizations and women’s organizations to contribute to the website’s content, including the Christian College of South Africa, Epilepsy Support Foundation of Zimbabwe, Genderlinks, Zimbabwe Women’s Coalition, Women in politics support unit, the Women lawyers association and Genvi Trust. The website will provide information, links, and opportunities for women with disabilities from other organizations.

Caroline Atim Ogwang Atanga
Country: South Sudan
Organization: The Southern Sudan Deaf Development Concern
Grant Award: $950
Project: Outreach to People with disabilities for programs in 5 States
The Southern Sudan Deaf Development Concern, in partnership with Handicap International, will implement a project to conduct outreach to people with disabilities across the five states of South Sudan. They will meet with members of various disabled peoples associations to bring educational awareness on human rights and create or strengthen disability rights advocacy groups. Their goal is to promote a more coordinated network and support system for people with disabilities across the country. To enhance outreach efforts, they will also identify and meet with focal persons from government agencies, such as the State Ministry of Social Development, and NGOs, such as the National Democratic Institute (NDI), who can include people with disabilities in their existing programs and trainings where people with disabilities are currently underrepresented. A priority during outreach efforts will be to identify the number of girls with disabilities under the age of 15 who are not attending school. These statistics will be used to support the need for disability rights advocacy programs and the information will be used for follow-up to ensure girls with disabilities are connected with scholarship opportunities. Caroline and her team will also foster organization of women with disabilities groups and link them to opportunities for economic empowerment.

Lanieta Tuimabu
Country: Fiji
Organization: Fiji Disabled Peoples Federation (FDPF) Women’s Group
Grant Award: $1,000
Project: HIV/AIDS awareness workshops for International Women’s Day
The Fiji Disabled Peoples Federation (FDPF) Women’s Group will conduct HIV/AIDS awareness workshops during International Women’s Day, March 8th, working in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Fiji Women’s Crisis Center. Representatives from the Ministry of Health and the Fiji Women’s Crisis Center will be invited to present on the issues that affect women with disabilities, and distribute information regarding prevention techniques. The FDPF will organize the workshops for women with disabilities who are members of DPOs in central and western Fiji.  By promoting the equalization of opportunities and encouraging support from people with disabilities, the FDPF and their partner organizations aim to develop better advocacy programs and promote a more inclusive society.

Annoncee Ntwali
Country: Rwanda
Organization: National Organization of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (NOUSPR)
Grant Award: $970
Project: Raising Hope: Outreach to people with psychosocial disabilities and indigenous women with disabilities
This project will bring together the expertise of multiple organizations to improve outreach to people with disabilities in development programs. On behalf of her organization, National Organization of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (NOUSPR), Ms. Ntwali will conduct preparation meetings with Volunteer Service Organization (VSO)’s youth program, URUFATIRO-HIV program and the Kigali Health Institute to develop a training manual to be used by both development organizations and DPOs for inclusion and outreach to people with disabilities. Kigali Health Institute will provide experience on reasonable accommodation of people with disabilities based on their work creating disability-friendly facilities in universities. FOUNDATION URUFATIRO will share their experience implementing HIV/AIDS programs. After collecting the experience from these meetings, Ms. Ntwali will develop the manual and conduct a training for VSO staff on outreach to people with disabilities, with a particular focus on indigenous women with disabilities and women with psychosocial disabilities.