Title: The GRID Network – Groups for Rehabilitation and Inclusive Development: Building Communities of Practice for Rehabilitation and Inclusive Development in the North West Region of Cameroon
Investigators:
- Lynn Cockburn, GRID Network Lead, Department of OS&OT, University of Toronto
- Louis Mbibeh, GRID Network Project Coordinator, Bamenda, Cameroon
- Awa Jacques Chirac, SEEPD Program Manager, Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services
Year of Study: December 2015 to June 2018
Description
The GRID Network was a community of practice project for rehabilitation and inclusive development professionals focused on improving life in the North West Region of Cameroon. The goal of the GRID Network was to improve services that were available throughout the region. GRID began in late 2015 and ended in 2018.
From its beginning, the GRID Network connected people through face to face meetings and online platforms. Members were committed to improving quality of life and service systems for people living with disabilities in the region. Many members had not been part of a community of practice or professional association or network previous to GRID, and had not met each other prior to GRID.
Over time, a large community of practice formed as members shared ideas, resources, and opportunities. Within this larger network, there were 7 smaller groups focusing on specific themes. The groups were Community Based Rehabilitation, Mental health and rehabilitation, Gender and Rehabilitation, Inclusive Education, Leadership in Rehabilitation, Media and Rehabilitation, and Vision care and rehabilitation. Details of the project are available in the end of project report.
Publications and Reports
Cockburn, L., Awa Jacques Chirac, Mbibeh Louis, and Ngong Peter Tonain. (2016). The GRID Network -Groups for Rehabilitation and Inclusive Development. Building Communities of Practice for Rehabilitation and Inclusive Development in the North West Region of Cameroon. Podium Presentation, McGill University. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 2016 Mar 12.
Cockburn, L., Mbibeh Louis, Julius Nganji, Awa Jacques Chirac, Kennedy Nonki, Sanhee Han Title: Using assistive technology to improve communication, knowledge, and skills in communities of practice and disability inclusive development. Podium presentation. AfriNEAD conference – Ghana, August 7 – 9 2017
Kenchi, Joseph, Lynn Cockburn, Mbibeh Louis, Jacques Chirac Awa, Peter Mue, Ezekiel Benuh, Goli Hashemi. The GRID Network: A CBR Community of Practice. Podium Presentation, 2nd CBR World Congress – Empowering and Enabling Community actions towards human rights and sustainable development through CBR, September 26-29, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Okwen, M. Signe, J., MacPella, M., Mbibeh, L. and Cockburn, L. (2018). Professional collaboration for vision and health care, Cameroon African Journal of Vision and Eye Health. 77 (1). a434 doi: https://doi.org/10.4102/aveh.v77i1.434 https://avehjournal.org/index.php/aveh/article/view/434
The GRID Gender and Disability Inclusive Development Group, The GRID Network. (2017). 16 Stories for 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence in the North West Region of Cameroon https://nwrcommunityofpractice.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/grid-network-2017-16-stories-for-16-days-of-activism-against-gbv.pdf And http://cbchealthservices.org/seepdblog/blog/2018/01/05/grid-network-of-the-seepd-program-launches-16-stories-of-16-days-of-activism-against-gbv/
Funder and Acknowledgements
This project was funded by CBM through the Socio Economic Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities (SEEPD) Program of the CBCHS, Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services.