Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Ministry of Family, Inclusion and Social Development today formalized the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the seven municipalities benefiting from the “Closing Gaps” project, funded by Spanish Cooperation, in the amount of 44 million escudos.
The signing, which took place in Praia, was carried out through the General Directorate of Social Inclusion and is part of the celebrations of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, celebrated today.
The signing involved the municipalities of Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande de Santo Antão, Brava, Maio, Ribeira Brava de São Nicolau, São Miguel and Tarrafal de Santiago.
According to Lídia Lima, the initiative aims to strengthen local inclusion policies, allowing the creation of new rehabilitation and care centers in the municipalities of Maio and Ribeira Brava de São Nicolau, while also ensuring the rehabilitation of three existing spaces in the municipalities of Porto Novo, Tarrafal and São Miguel.
Lídia Lima also stated that the project will expand the training of caregivers in municipalities that do not yet have these professionals or that need reinforcement, ensuring a “more qualified and family-oriented” response.
Another area of intervention will be raising awareness in society, involving companies, institutions, and the general public, to guarantee people with disabilities access to services, employment, education, and vocational training.
The governor also revealed that, within the scope of the initiative, two mobile units will be placed at the service of Brava Island and Ribeira Grande de São Nicolau, which will allow for reinforced support and care provided to this population.
The Government anticipates that, in the first quarter of 2026, the rehabilitation works, the construction of the new centers, and the operation of the mobile units will already be underway.
“These are gains that we have achieved, but to achieve them we had to go through a long process, which was the elaboration of the project, the mobilization of financial resources, and also the adaptation of the funders’ demands to our reality,” she listed.
However, he stressed that challenges persist, mainly in changing attitudes and mobilizing society.
Alongside the ceremony, the Ministry of Family, Inclusion and Social Development, in partnership with the Cape Verdean Federation of People with Disabilities (Fecad), promoted an inclusive sidewalk on the pedestrian street of Platô, intended to highlight the accessibility limitations faced daily by the community.
The program also included a fair of best practices and exhibitions, which brought together inclusive projects from schools, civil society organizations, companies and technological initiatives focused on accessibility.
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