Now PPCI South Sulawesi has branches of PPCI at 8 Districts among others : Sidrap District, Enrekang District, Luwu District, Pinrang District, Takalar District, Jeneponto District, Bulukumba District and Selayar District. There are 24 districts in South Sulawesi.
The prioritization of activities by the improvement of disabled people’s welfare that effects their individual needs which relates to other aspects such as :
· income generating, recruitment, health, education, training, rehabilitation, opening of new employment opportunities, and raising of funds.
PPCI South Sulawesi Representation has been held some vocational training such as :
· embroider,
· electronic,
· computer,
· silk printing,
· spring bed making, and
· orthotic courses for basic level.
Other training related soft skill among others :
· Public Speaking,
· Organization Management,
· Conflict Management,
· Character Building or Capacity Building,
· Advocacy, lobby and negotiation,
· English Courses etc.
The beneficiaries of these courses are all disabled people especially physical and the deaf people who attend the courses and their family. Also it has carried out Computer Course for the Blind.
Beside that PPCI South Sulawesi always conduct public awareness activities. Public Awareness Activities among others :
1. Carried out and organized commemorating the International Day of Disabled Persons every year.
2. Workshop.
3. Public Dialogue.
4. Filling Television Programme ( TVRI South Sulawesi ).
5. Talk show at Radio Republic of Indonesia ( RRI ).
6. Socialization of Issues of People with Disabilities.
PPCI South Sulawesi has established a tailoring workshop under a foundation named Yayasan Bina Mandiri and it has employed 4 disabled people of physical and deaf. There are some customers that cooperated with us for a few years like schools, universities etc.
2. Background Population and area
The total population of South Sulawesi is ± 8,235,489 people and 3.11 % of the population are disabled (according to the data from the Ministry of Social Affairs ± 256,123 people), and 60% of them live in the isolated areas which are very difficult to be reached by development. The people are multi-etnic, mostly are Buginese and Makassarese and some are from Mandarese and Torajan. Many disabled people in South Sulawesi in particular and in Indonesia in general live in poverty due to some factors such as :
- The community’s awareness is low. Most of them think that disable people are unskillful and cheap human resources and are burdens to the community. This way of thinking substantially effects the disabled people’s socio-economic conditions because it will be hard for them to find appropriate jobs for their livelihood. If there are people or organizations who are willing to employee disabled people, they pay them very low.
- Low accessibility in education. There are many educational institutions who do not understand disabled people and do not give access to education, and makes the disabled people can only get their formal education only up to primary school. With primary school diploma, it is certainly too difficult to get better job except doing labor with very low pay.
- Low accessibility in employment opportunities, health, buildings, transportation, information, telecommunications, regulations, etc. which bumper the improvement of social welfare of the disabled people.
It’s very important if disabled persons that experienced rehabilitation to get a job. But this is a main problem for disabled persons. They have many barriers.
To solve the problems, we have to face a great challenge and a long struggle cooperation with the local government and the community. PPCI South Sulawesi Representation is determined to work cooperatively with Local Government and the community to handle the above problems and will struggle hard to improve the socio-economic condition of the disable people in South Sulawesi Representation in particular. Through this project, we would like to help a few of people with disabilities in South Sulawesi to get more training skills of sewing and printing. We inform you that most of the people with disabilities in South Sulawesi are supporting their daily living through sewing and printing. Although members of PPCI are organization, we try to touch persons with disabilities individually through such as vocational training, employment opportunities, revolving fund programme, scholarship programme, individual fund aid etc.
