“Empowering for Self-Reliance (EMSER)” Project ( January 2024 – December 2025)
“Project EMSER” is a 30-month project funded by Liliane Foundation (LF), Netherlands in partnership with The Leprosy Mission Nigeria. The project seeks to:
- empower 30 parents of children and youngsters with disabilities (CYWD) economically through skills training, seed grant and access to soft loans to continue to meet their children’s basic needs.
- Provide livelihood support for 1 parent of a child with disability to improve revamp her business and enhance family income.
- Provide direct support 23 children with disabilities to continue and/or complete their current levels of education for 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 school calendar.
- Provide support for 10 children with disabilities to access physiotherapy treatment for a long-term independence.
- Build capacity of 30 parents of children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus on continence management knowledge and education.
- Build capacity of 30 parents of children with disabilities on basic therapy skills to continue to support their children at home for a long-term independence.
- Provide psychosocial support for 150 young people with disabilities and their families to deal with the challenges of living with spina bifida, hydrocephalus and other forms of disabilities through family support group.
- Strengthen partnership with Osun JONAPWD to ensure passage of disability bill in Osun State to improve the standards of living for about 700,000 persons with disabilities in Osun State.
- Re-equipping FFF therapy rooms to enhance services provided during therapy clinic.
- Strengthen capacity of FFF staff in resource mobilization to be able to attract other sources of income post LF exit.
- Establish a business arm of the Foundation for sustainability.
Since 2009, Festus Fajemilo Foundation has received funding support from Liliane Foundation. The age-long funding support has enabled the Foundation to empower more than 120 children with diverse disabilities through enhanced access to critical services including health, education, livelihood, rehabilitation, sports etc. On the other hand, the support has also aided FFF in engaging in disability-inclusive policy and legal advocacies which have contributed to some policy review in education and progress in disability legal enactment Lagos and Osun states respectively. At the national level in September 2023, support from Liliane Foundation has also contributed to the process of establishing Standards Operating Procedures (SOPs) on disability inclusive education by the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) which was initiated by Festus Fajemilo Foundation
However, with the phase-out plan by Liliane Foundation from Nigeria by mid-2026, there are potential implications this may have on the Foundation as well as its target beneficiaries. Also, the current harsh economic situation in the country following the removal of fuel subsidy by the current Federal Government has made life difficult for majority of Nigerians while at a disproportionate level for persons with disabilities.
Therefore, to ensure the successes recorded with LF’s support over the years are not eroded post LF’s exit, the Foundation in line with the planned phase-out period has embarked on a 30-month project tagged “Empowering for Self-Reliance (EMSER)” to carry out the plans highlighted above.
