Inclusion of people with disabilities: Damien, a shoemaker in Cotonou, has big plans

A hard-working and motivated student

I grew up in Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin. When I was five, I had a severe episode of high fever. I was taken to hospital where I was given an anti-malarial injection. But my temperature kept rising and I began to lose feeling in my legs... That's how I became disabled in my lower limbs.

“That didn't stop me from going to school. At the time, I was 10 years old and the school was not at all adapted to children with disabilities. My dad would take me on a bike, drop me off outside the classroom and I would crawl in.”

In the 1990s, my dad went to the social protection office in Cotonou, where you can benefit from state assistance. After an assessment, I was scheduled for several surgical operations over almost a year. Afterwards, I was able to use crutches, and although it was hard getting around with them, I stuck to it. As I did well in all my classes and was highly motivated, the center also covered my school fees.

To get to school, I often took motorbike taxis; my sister also helped me, when she had the time. In any case, I was always very studious. I never missed lessons and I passed all my exams. I continued my studies until my final year, when I applied for a competitive examination in computing. The day I went into the examination room, an examiner spotted me and came to tell me that as a disabled person, I couldn't take the exam. I was told to leave the room. This discrimination completely discouraged me: all that effort, that whole journey, only to end like that!

The first step towards inclusion

I dropped out of my final year at school and as I already had a family, I looked for odd jobs to help me get by. I started out in real estate until one day, fate knocked at my door. I was coming out of an appointment when I came across a shoe factory. I was amazed; it was so impressive! The work really struck a chord with me and I asked about training, without knowing that I would soon have the opportunity to do it.

A year later, the social protection office invited me to join HI's professional inclusion project, and that's where it all started. First of all, HI took charge of the medical side of things to make sure I was in good health. As my back was painful, I was prescribed medication, lower-limb orthoses and a corset. HI paid for the orthoses, the medicines and even for rehabilitation sessions at the National Hospital and University Center of Cotonou. I hope this support will continue in the future, notably with the help of Benin's Ministry of Social Affairs, so I can continue improving my health.

"My old leg braces were damaged and I had spinal pain. The corset and new braces have done me a lot of good. I walk better and they make sure I hold myself properly when I'm standing or sitting."

A modern and ambitious project

After that, I joined the training program with other participants. For my part, I chose shoemaking, as you can imagine! The training lasted about ten months and was very thorough. HI covered our travel costs and kept a close eye on our progress, which motivated us to keep going.

Once I'd qualified, HI supported my business plan by providing me with tools, including a sewing machine, molds, tools, hammers... equipment that I use every day. I make shoes and display them around town so that customers can place orders, mostly online. I've created a big forum with over 1,000 members where I present my work. I have customers as far away as Parakou, in the north of the country!

"I’m proud of the work I've done. What motivates me is when I present my creations and people exclaim, “Did you make these in Benin? These are imported shoes!” I tell them no, they're my creations. People are happy to hear that and that makes me happy – it makes me want to keep making inroads and moving forward."

In time, I'd also like to export my products outside the country and launch my own brand. My company is called “Fadasco Chaussures” and I want to transform it into “Fadasco Fashion” and launch a clothing line so that customers can buy shoes and matching clothes.

Design with everyone in mind

My cross-strap shoes have been very successful and I've started to adapt them for people with disabilities by adding straps at the back to hold the foot in place. I want to do everything I can to make people with disabilities feel comfortable in my shoes.

"I'm doing well and my aim now is to recruit apprentices, with or without disabilities. I'm all for inclusion, my workshop is open to everyone and I dream of helping disabled people like me to find work."

I'm the president of the Coordination of People with Disabilities in the 2nd subdivision of Cotonou. With our various partners, we are raising awareness about inclusion and a lot has changed in recent years. There have been real improvements. For example, new government buildings now have ramps to improve physical accessibility.

However, there is still progress to be made in the environment, and some buildings built a long time ago are still not very accessible to us... Wherever I go - hospitals, pharmacies, etc. - I raise people's awareness and point out the obstacles.

"We people with disabilities need to be able to go everywhere and live our lives as comfortably as everyone else."