Amputees in Sierra Leone take to farming

There is substantial evidence that people with disabilities feel empowered by working in sustainable ventures. This empowerment manifests across multiple dimensions: economic independence, social inclusion, skill development, and a restored sense of purpose and dignity. This is being done in Sierra Leone now with amputees producing products through organic farming thus contributing to health and the environment too.

Economic Independence and Agency
For many, sustainable work provides a pathway from reliance on charity to financial self-sufficiency. In Romania, the social enterprise OilRight employs disabled individuals to make candles from recycled cooking oil, creating jobs where fewer than 10% of disabled Romanians are employed. Similarly, the ILO's green jobs project in Jordan enabled Samah, who is blind, to earn enough to start her own business selling phone cards. In China's 3D Printing Digital Workshop for People with Disabilities, Paralympian Cao Qiuping emphasizes their goal is to compete on quality, not sympathy, as they fulfill commercial orders.

Social Inclusion and Community
Sustainable ventures are often designed with inclusion at their core, combatting the social isolation that many face. In Jordan, Tahani, who is also blind, found a sense of belonging and purpose through green employment, stating she "made new friends, engaged with workers for the first time, and found a sense of belonging and purpose". The GreenAbility Project in Nigeria brought together over 100 young people with disabilities to build community and advocate for their inclusion in the green economy.

Skill Development and Confidence
Green and circular economy jobs often require new skills, providing opportunities for training and confidence-building. Alice Nyalith Jok Chuol, a disabled refugee in Kenya, participated in advanced workshops on design, pricing, and branding, which helped her transform her craft into a sustainable business. In the Beijing 3D printing workshop, people with disabilities are learning high-tech design and production, with one apprentice noting that when things break at home, he "just design[s] and print[s] a replacement". Initiatives like the Youth Co:Lab National Innovation Challenge in India actively foster social entrepreneurship focused on disability inclusion.

Purpose and Dignity
This work also provides a deeper sense of purpose and the dignity of contributing to a larger cause. The "GreenAbility" project in Nigeria seeks to prepare persons with disabilities to build climate resilience, positioning them as central to an inclusive and just transition. The GreenJobs4ALL project in Europe explicitly promotes inclusive employment for young people with intellectual disabilities in the green labor market, while the ILO notes that embedding disability inclusion in sustainability strategies is becoming integral to corporate responsibility.

We hope all of us learn from each other and move towards inclusion to create a better world.

By Jamuna Rangachari