Despite the COVID-19 crisis, HI continues to support disabled people

People with disabilities often find it very hard to access to decent employment. HI is helping them find work. Danwell P. Esperas, Personalized Social Support officer, is providing them with personalized follow-up.

Danwell is a registered nurse by profession but a development worker by heart. As of the moment, he is currently working with HI as a Personalized Social Support officer under the Forward Together Project handling the City of Valenzuela, which is part of the National Capital Region or Greater Manila Area. The Forward Together Project: Empowering Youth with Disabilities in Asia that is being implemented in Manila, Philippines, and Jakarta, Indonesia is a livelihood project that aims to help young persons with disabilities ages 18-40 years old to access to meaningful and decent employment. 

Helping people with disabilities find a job

Through personalized social support, Danwell enables project participants to know themselves better, to increase their employability skills, to access employment opportunities, and lastly, to reach their own goals in life. 

Personalized follow-up

In May 2019, Danwell had a deaf participant who wants to work in a manufacturing company. The participant underwent a beautiful journey started from the initial assessment, making his personalized action plan, underwent coaching sessions on resume writing and job interview skills and after two weeks of coaching sessions the participant was able to land a job and while in the company the participant was teaching his co-workers the basics of Filipino sign language.

When the lockdown started, the participant was greatly affected. The COVID-19 pandemic plunged him into a new and serious economic crisis. No more work... Danwell continued to support him through coaching sessions by providing empathetic sessions, and how to access different government agencies to get some goods and financial assistance. 

Continuous support during the COVID-19 crisis

Even amidst the pandemic, Danwell continued to coach project participants remotely on COVID-19 Prevention, understanding the pathophysiology of the virus, the rationale behind each signs and symptoms, stress management, the importance of self-care, and how to access financial assistance and goods being provided by the government. 

HI’s Forward Together project also adapted its strategies to COVID-19 by providing cash transfers to project participants.