Celebrating partnerships with Organisations of People with Disabilities in 2023

Blog | June 26, 2024

David Bainbridge, Executive Director of CBM Global, shares the enriching insights that inspire him in the Annual Report 2023.

There is a special moment that I cherish once per year. It is that moment when I stop what I am doing, sit down with a cup of tea and take some time to read through and absorb our Annual Report. I don’t know if you have the same tendency as me but I find it so easy to stay caught up in busy routines, focused on the next big task to pursue, the next big challenge to address. I need to pause and take time more often to acknowledge the progress that has been made and celebrate all that has been accomplished. Pausing to read the 2023 CBM Global Annual Report offers such a moment!

So with cup of tea in hand, what am I celebrating as I review the CBM Global Annual Report for 2023?

Over 4.89 million people reached, working in more than 26 countries and with 126 partner organisations. I’m so encouraged by the depth and breadth of our work, impacting the lives of people with disabilities, their families and communities, and fulfilling our mission to end the cycle of poverty and disability in a range of ways: whether through support with medical and rehabilitation services; empowerment through peer support groups; protection from Neglected Tropical Diseases; access to community mental health services; support to earn a living; access to disability inclusive emergency relief, the list goes on.

A strong theme throughout the report is our commitment as a Federation towards partnership with the disability movement in achieving our vision and mission. We want to shift the dial to ensure that our partnerships are characterised by authentic, equal partnership based on trust and respect.

I’m so encouraged by the significant growth in the number of partnerships with Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs) last year, very much in keeping with our Global Disability Summit commitments.

There are wonderful reflections from our Kenya Country Director Edwin Osundwa on the remarkable impact of Caroline Agwanda, the Chair of the Hope Women with Disability group in Kisumu. Caroline has done incredible work in advancing the cause of disability inclusion and accessibility in her community. She has served as an inclusion advisor to the Kisumu County Governor, influencing policy and practices across government departments and well beyond.

I loved reading about our pilot work in Laos, promoting accessibility in eye health centres in partnership with the World Blind Union and the World Federation of the Deaf.

Fantastic too to read about the strides made in our new Advisor Capacity Development and Exchange project, supporting people with disabilities with the knowledge and resources they need to provide technical advice to mainstream organisations. All made possible through partnership between our Inclusion Advisory Group with the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and OPDs in Asia and the Pacific.

I hope you can create some space to read through our 2023 Annual Report. I am so thankful for our Federation Members, supporters and donors, for our Board, our amazing teams and partners that make this work possible.

Read CBM Global’s Annual Report 2023

Back to News