BUDAP-THE TALENTED POLIO SURVIVORS

The Bukoba Disabled Assistance Project (BUDAP) was established in June 2005. It was the vision of its founders Raymond Mukwenda and William O. Rutta, two local Tanzanian men, and Bart Lacroix, a Dutch volunteer, to create an organization that would specifically work with the survivors of polio. They realized many victims of polio had a difficult time procuring work because employers would give preference to people who are physically sound, and have a secondary school education. Polio survivors in Tanzania earn less than a dollar a day by doing casual work, such as shoe repair or by begging for money.

Together, they hired a master drum maker from Kagera in Tanzania, rented a workshop and began on-the-job training for seven disabled people on how to make traditional Tanzanian drums called ngoma. BUDAP's workforce has since expanded to more than a dozen people.

BUDAP expanded their operations in June 2006 and started training and employing disabled women affected by polio to produce handbags. As a team they run the BUDAP workshop successfully. Today BUDAP's workforce also consists of people with physical disabilities other than polio.

 

How can you support BUDAP?

 The best way to support BUDAP is to buy BUDAP products online or from one of their dealers.

BUDAP is seeking dealers and shops that want to sell BUDAP drums and crafts anywhere in the world.

As all entrepreneurs know, the first years of operations are crucial. BUDAP is still looking for financial support for the coming three years. The aim of BUDAP is to be self-sufficient within three years.

If you wish to support BUDAP in anyway please contact us by mail: info@budap.org





CREDIT:BUDAP