Second workshop in Tunisia benefitted 19 future deaf leaders from five countries  

The WFD is currently implementing a two-year regional community capacity building project in the Maghreb region. Deaf leaders from Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia have so far received two rounds of training workshops, each lasting 10 days. The first training, organised in Fes, Morocco, focused on topics such as organisational development, conflict resolution, deaf associations’ Board members’ role, whereas the second one, this time held in Tunis, Tunisia,  touched upon project management, budgeting, networking, and importance of gender balance as well as equality and diversity in deaf associations’ work.

WFD Project Officer Paul Scott says that empowerment has already occurred during the two first training sessions: Many positive developments have taken place since we first met in Fes in September this year. For example, I was happy to notice that in a short time span the Mauritanian trainees had succeeded in drafting a project application to seek funding for further community development and that in Algeria they are now planning to establish a youth section, just to mention a few.The next training workshops is planned for April 2017. The WFD Maghreb project is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.