A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON THE CBR WRITING SKILLS WORKSHOP -

A training of Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) stakeholders on writing skills took place in Yaonde, Cameroon. This training was organized by the Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) Health Services in collaboration with the CBR Africa Network (CAN).

CAN usually conducts writing skills workshops targeting CBR practitioners at the grassroots level. 12 such workshops have since been conducted in 10 African countries, including Egypt, Ghana, Malawi, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Uganda and most recently Cameroon. During the workshops, participants are encouraged to write success stories and articles to showcase their work on the field. These are later published by CAN through its communication outlets.

The capacity-building aspect of CAN has been very beneficial to its participants across the years. In Cameroon, the training was attended by 45 participants. The following topics were covered: Understanding Documentation, The Writing Process, Principles of Good Writing, Writing a Story, Inclusive Writing, Identifying and Writing Effective Success Stories, Ethical Issues, and Action Planning.

Workshop Objectives

To strengthen capacities to better communicate best practices, lessons learned and challenges in implementing Community Based Rehabilitation work
To identify focal points/organizations who will be sharing information from CBR practitioners in Cameroon with CAN secretariat
To identify the possibilities/opportunities for increased information sharing and
To enhance CBR networking.

The following were anticipated as immediate and progressive outcomes:

– Participants equipped with skills to better document their experiences

– Articles written about different CBR programs in Yaoundé Cameroon were to be uploaded on CAN website and subsequently published

– Establishing and strengthening of CBR networks

– Identification of pertinent issues in CBR/disability for possible advocacy campaigns

Target group

The training was tailored to meet the interests of CBR practitioners and communicators, Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs) and Persons with Disabilities. The training had participants from eight out of the 10 regions of Cameroon

Expectations

Participants were keen to learn, given the following expectations mentioned before the training:

I expect that at the end of this workshop. I should improve on my writing skills.
I expect to also better understand what documentation is all about
I expect to better improve on my writing skills especially writing stories (success stories). To be able to do my work very well
I expect that I should be able to effectively communicate in writing, best practices, stories and other write-ups for the program.
Get to know other CBR Partners
Gain Knowledge on writing skills to enhance reporting
Master writing of success stories
At the end of the workshop, I expect to have my skills developed in the areas of disability reporting.
To be acquainted with technical vocabulary in disability communication
To learn new techniques of story writing and inclusive writing skills
Advance skills in story writing
Contribute ideas through active participation
Sharing of experience in the communication field
Participate as much as possible in everything that has to do with writing
To give me all the time and capacity
I will share my experience in writing disability stories
I will like to know how information is gathered/collected
How to keep/preserve information
How to spread it to all and sundry
How to ensure that information reaches the targeted population
Wish to learn how to develop a successful story
To know my role in the CAN and to know what is CAN all about
To get more writing skills
To make a review on our use of CBR skills over the past years
To know more how to get a local organization to involve in fundraising for people with disability
To understand how to write reports
To understand documentation especially that of Persons with Disabilities
To develop writing skills of Persons with Disabilities in an inclusive society
Understand types of writing and how to entice leaders
Identifying storylines that draw a meaningful conclusion
How to approach story writing from an inclusive perspective
I expect to gain knowledge on writing skills in Cameroon
To improve on ways on writing success stories
To improve on documentation
I expect at the end of this workshop to be able to improve on my writing skills especially that of success stories.
I expect to gain more skills on what and how to document
I expect to improve my reporting skills
Learn modern advanced ways of documentation
Build more skills in success story writing
Learn more on how to get a captivating story idea to write on
I am expecting to learn new and better skills in approaching and writing disability stories.
I will be very focused to listen and learn how to write a success story
Will effectively implement all that will be learned here back in my community