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Omega Initiative
Name: Omega Initiative
Donor: United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Duration: Sept 13, 2001 to September 12, 2009
Omega Initiative is funded by USAID under Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund (LWVF). The program seeks to provide quality rehabilitation services to civilian victims of war and persons with disabilities in Sub Sahara Africa by provision of increased use of orthopedic and rehabilitation services, improved policy environment for civilian war victims, enhanced institutional capacity to deliver quality services and also increased social and economic re-integration of civilian war victims.
The Omega program is designed to provide support to organizations engaged in the implementation and extension of rehabilitation services for civilian victims of war and other persons with disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. In May 2005, the Omega initiative launched a special in-country small grant making project in Gulu and there after Lira, where Pact continues to implement small grants providing support to local disabled person’s organizations.
In Uganda, Omega has been engaged in Gulu and Lira districts by facilitating support to more than 50 local organizations that work with persons with disabilities. The support has enabled disability organizations to work together and provided capacity building assistance. Specifically, the project has provided support to organizations for the blind, deaf and mobility disabled through economic development, vocational skills training and training in proposal development, book keeping and organization development.
In South Sudan, Omega Initiative supports Medical Care Development International (MCDI) in establishment of a rehabilitation center at the Rumbek Regional Hospital, while the Sudan Evangelical Mission has introduced community based rehabilitation services in Mundri County.
In Kenya, Omega Initiative supports the Association of Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK), the Jaipur Limb, the Kagemi Rehabilitation center, Bethany Children’s Center of the African Inland Church and the Kikuyu Orthopedic Center. To promote Basket ball in Kenya, the Kenya Basket Ball Federation also receives support from Omega Initiative.
Additionaly, Pact and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) worked together in Ethiopia and implemented a model disability project in the Amhara region aimed at meeting the physical rehabilitation and socio-economic needs of persons with disabilities, while advocating for overall issues affecting persons with disabilities in Ethiopia.
In Sierra Leone, the Omega Initiative worked with Handicap International (France), Cause Canada, World Hope International and Leonard Cheshire International to enhance integration. In DRC, Omega Initiative worked with Handicap International (Belgium), International Polio Victims Response Committee and Red Cross – DRC to improve the quality of physical rehabilitation services.
In Tanzania, the Omega Initiative provided support to the Legal Aid Center so as to provide free legal services to persons with disabilities among others while in Republic of Congo (Congo Brazaville), Omega worked with Caritas Brazaville to improve the quality of physical therapy services.
Contact Persons
Liz Loughran
Vice President Africa Region
Tel: +254 724 256 858
P.O. Box 76390, Yaya Centre
00508 Nairobi, Kenya
Liz@pactke.org
Mary Ngugi
Program officer
Pact HQ
Tel: 202-466-5666
mngugi@pacthq.org
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