Baidoa city, Monday, February 27, 2023: With the support of the U.N Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), the Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) has concluded 3 -day journalists’ training on reporting persons with disabilities in Baidoa city, South West State of Somalia.

The selected forty participants who took part in the training program held at Hotel Haldoor in Baidoa city were journalists, persons with disabilities and representatives from CSO
organizations supporting persons with disabilities operational in Baidoa city, South West State.
The main purpose of the training was to improve journalists’ knowledge of people with disabilities, increase media coverage of persons with disabilities, increase their visibility and
acceptance for equal opportunities within the Somali community.
In his opening remarks, Muhudin Husni, Deputy Chairman of FESOJ, pointed out that training to improve journalists’ skills for reporting news and stories relating to persons with disabilities is the first of its type to be held in Baidoa city with the support of UNSOM.
"It’s the first time I am participating in a training discussing our rights; it’s a pleasure for us to share training with the reporters, I thank FESOJ and UNSOM for the encouragement.” Soda
Abdullahi, a disabled female participant in Baidoa city, pointed out. Adan Ali, who is one of the disabled persons participating in the training, has indicated to have barriers to employment opportunities and other social rights. He thanked FESOJ and UNSOM for training journalists in reporting disability stores for wide public outreach.
During the three-day journalists’ training on reporting persons with disabilities, the participants were taken through the main topics, including the Convention of the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD) and its fundamental principles and objectives.
Furthermore, the participants discussed how to strengthen close cooperation between disabled persons and media reporters in jointly promoting the role of the media in covering programs and stories with disability.
In his closing remarks, Farah Omar Nur, Secretary General of FESOJ, acknowledged the journalists’ training in reporting persons with disabilities is essential to make them visible within the community and pointed out that similar training will be conducted at the major cities of the
Federal Member States as well.

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