What We Do / Our Work
Community-Based Mutual Aid
In rural Malawi, we believe that what people with disabilities truly need to live safely and with dignity isn’t one-time material support — it’s a sustainable system where the whole community looks out for one another.
GOJOplus works in partnership with local government bodies and community members to build systems where people themselves take the lead in supporting one another. As part of this, we are working toward the implementation of Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR).
In progress program
Programs Currently in Progress
Building Local Capacity
Building a foundation for community support — no specialist required
In collaboration with the Malawi Council of Disability Affairs (MACODA), we run training sessions for local coordinators and volunteers.
Participants learn both a sound understanding of disability and practical ways to provide support within their communities. We also work alongside Japanese physical and occupational therapists to continuously improve the training content.
Training Sessions
The training emphasizes two key perspectives: building support systems that can be sustained within the community, and engaging with each person as an individual — not defined by their disability.
Ongoing Engagement
Rather than leaving it at a one-off training, local coordinators and volunteers visit individual households to put what they’ve learned into practice. By maintaining ongoing, tailored engagement with each family, support becomes a natural part of daily life.
Growing Reach Within the Community
As local people take ownership of this work, knowledge and experience gradually spread throughout the community.
ATP：ppropriate Paper-based Technology
Appropriate Technology in Action
We run workshops teaching participants how to make custom seating and standing aids for children with disabilities — using locally available, low-cost materials such as cardboard and cassava flour.
Sessions are open to MACODA’s local coordinators and volunteers, as well as parents of children with disabilities.
Making the Most of What’s Available
Participants learn practical ways to support everyday movements like sitting and standing — no specialized equipment needed, just everyday materials.
Improving Safety and Usability
By observing how assistive devices are actually used in Malawi and incorporating local feedback, we work together with Japanese physical and occupational therapists to refine them for better usability and safety.
Families as Part of the Process
When parents and community members are involved in making these aids, they gain the ability to adjust them as their child grows — and develop a greater sense of ownership over their child’s care.
Community & Connection
Family and Community Connections
We create spaces where people with disabilities and their families can speak freely and feel safe. We also nurture informal, everyday connections that make mutual support a natural part of life.
Peer and Parent Groups
We support the formation of networks where people can share experiences, voice concerns, and lift each other up.
Community Awareness Activities
We run awareness campaigns to build understanding of disability across the wider community, and explore what it looks like for people from all walks of life to genuinely live alongside one another.
For a Sustainable Future
GOJOplus programs are shaped by the real needs emerging within each community, and we are committed to ensuring our work continues in a way that is genuinely rooted in local life.
Building on the relationships we have developed over time, we will continue to draw on the experiences of both Malawi and Japan as we explore ways of working that truly fit each community.
Reports
Activity Reports: Malawi
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