By Anne RinaudoWednesday 20 Jun 2018Open House InterviewsSocial JusticeReading Time: 2 minutes
Listen: Jane Edge in conversation with Stephen O’Doherty.
Imagine never being called by your own name. To be know only as the description of your disability must be crushing. That is what happens in Ethiopia where the stigma of disability is immense and to refer to people in that hurtful way is common.
Christian aid agency, CBM, is working hard to turn that attitude around. Their programs are bringing hope to those ‘nameless’ people and changing their entire world.
In Ethiopia, people with a disability are often referred to simply as the label for their condition. Jane Edge, CEO of CBM, told Open House she was delighted on a recent visit when a person CMB was helping excitedly told her, “They call me by my name now. I’m not called ‘lame’ anymore.”
“People with disability in developing countries are far more likely to be isolated, experience inequality and live in extreme poverty.” Jane explained.
CBM, is one of the oldest and largest development organisations in the world. They have over 110 years experience developing programs that help millions of people benefit from real, lasting change.
“We are devoted to improving the lives of people with disabilities in the poorest places on earth. Poverty and disability go hand in hand creating a cycle of inequality, isolation and exclusion that leads to the most extreme forms of poverty.” says Jane Edge.
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