As the world marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities,on December 3, with the theme; Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress’ the KEEPING IT REAL (KIR)FOUNDATION used the day to empower SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WITH DISABILITIES.
The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
The non-governmental organization in Rivers State, Keeping It Real (KIR) Foundation, organized a one-day workshop for small business owners with disabilities on the 4th of December 2025. The event which was held on Thursday at the KIR Foundation’s Inclusive Community Centre in Port Harcourt, featured presentation of work tools to 12 business owners, a keynote address, talk on business ethics and digital
marketing tools.
The event also featured music and dance performance by Pious Sylva and Precious Godspower whoare two accomplished vision impaired Musicologists.
The keynote speaker, Faith ljiga, a visually impaired author, Christian Community Podcast host, and writer, spoke on “The Role of Persons with Disabilities in Social Transformation. ”She highlighted the
need for persons with disabilities to take an active role in reshaping public perceptions, noting that many societal views about disability are inaccurate. She urged participants to break both external stereotypes and internal limitations within the disability community.
Faith also emphasised the importance of
advocacy, encouraging persons with disabilities to speak up, assert their rights, and guide society on respectful engagement. Her central message was: “Do it yourself.”
The workshop for small business owners with disabilities was attended by 31 business owners. The attendees were trained on business ethics by a guest speaker, Amarachi Stanley-Duru, a business development expert who spoke on,’Empowering Your Business for Economic and Social Impact’, While
the second guest speaker, Esther Smart, a tech business owner and advocate, facilitated the session on digital Marketing and focused on,’Leveraging Social Media to Break Barriers and Grow Your Business.
In her address,the Volunteer Executive Director of KIR Foundation,Bitebo Gogo,said the initiative commenced in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic because of the need to support small business owners with disabilities who the organization noticed were given handouts, but excluded from
mainstream economic opportunities.
She noted that many persons with disabilities face financial barriers that prevent them from accessing critical equipment needed for business growth.
“Persons with disabilities hardly get access to empowerment or grants. They are often overlooked because they are not part of the planning for financial intervention projects by the government and the private sector”, she said.
“In commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), we decided to host this one-day workshop and provide tools that will help them scale their businesses.”
She added that the aim of the workshop is to expose the attendees to opportunities within the tech and business value chain. an area she described as greatly beneficial for persons with disabilities as it promotes flexible work and reduces barriers related to mobility, discrimination and lack of access to
funds.
Also speaking at the event Onyinye Amadi, the CEO of Hope Dey Foundation, an On-Air Radio Personality and a disability-inclusion
advocate demonstrated that there is ability in disability. He shared his life story as a mobility challenged media personality and entrepreneur and gave the call to action to the 2025 grantees!
31 persons attended the workshop,18 of whom were persons with disabilities.This was the 6th Edition of the workshop and the first-ever inclusion of the Albino Cluster.11 business owners who have been running their small businesses in catering, tailoring, laundering, shoe repair and POS trading, for a minimum of 2 years got basic equipment to scale their businesses.
4 with vision impairment (Precious Ezihe,(Zyre Toaster),Loveth Ngidi,(12.5kg Gas Cylinder), Honour Barineka Omaha (Table Gas burner ) Adanma Bomma (Philip Electrical Blender ) 4 with Albinism
(Golden Wobeh Cathery (12.5kg Gas Cylinder) ,Agatha Nwangauma, (Baiter Hand Hair Dryer),Iselema Bibi, Cathery (12.5kg Gas Cylinder),Vera Ada,{OPAY POS Machine) and 4 with Mobility Challenged
(Isaac Son (Binatone Pressing Iron) Ebiriukwu Assumpta,(Mannequin) Augustine Uka Igwe (Filing
machine)
One of the beneficiaries, Augustine Uka Igwe,a mobility-challenged Cobbler who received a Filing machine, shared his relief and excitement. He explained that since starting his business in 2020, he had
struggled because of a Filing machine -an essential equipment for finishing footwear, was beyond his reach.“Most times,I had to borrow or go to the market to file shoes for my clients. It has been difficult,
time-consuming, and costly,”he said. “Now I can save time, resources and grow my business.”
KIR Foundation continues to champion inclusive economic empowerment through initiatives that uplift and equip persons with disabilities to thrive independently and contribute to community development.