Our history

CUAPWD was founded on the 2nd of September 2005 with the constituent membership of 11 Organizations of Persons with Disabilities. She was however officially recognized by Registration No REF.NO.0060/E.29/1111/VOL.8/APPB on the 31st of May 2007 under the leadership of her founding President Nyinchu Samuel. CUAPWD was formed to salvage the duplication of activities by one or more organizations in the name of providing services for PWDs and also the dividing voices of Persons with Disabilities in the region. Before her creation, the North West region had a handful of OPDs who did not possess a strong strategy to advocate for and defend their rights but could only depend on whatever came from any source irrespective of its motive.

From 2005 to 2015, CUAPWD was ruled by a simple executive managing the entire region, and with little or very weak grassroot representation. Thereafter, there were high reflections on transforming this structure to a full fledged Civil Society Organization, that speaks with confidence of representing all the 34 sub-divisions of the North West region. Hence, from 2016 to November 2020, the organization went through a series of assessments and reformulations of its governance and management structures and this culminated in the first ever re-organization of the Disability landscape of the North West region where 112 OPDs took part in the subdivisions of the North West to form the Sub-divisional Units of CUAPWD. These Sub-divisional Units further came together to put in place Divisional Units that would supervise the work of the Sub-Divisions and individual organizations. Also, the 7 Divisional Units came together on the 16th of December 2020 to form the General Assembly of CUAPWD which voted in an Eight-person representation; 1 at least from  each of the Seven Divisions for a mandate period of 5 years renewable once. These 8 PWDs represent the four main categories of Impairment Types and in order to strengthen CUAPWD’s stand on inclusion and working with other stakeholders, 3 very valuable institutions were equally elected to make CUAPWD’s Regional Board 11 Persons and respecting gender norms.

The Boards as mandated by the constitution, has put in place a strong management team under the leadership of a General Coordinator that oversees the functioning of the entire network. This reorganization process has been so rewarding and has given a stronger voice to PWDs both locally and nationally. Over the years, CUAPWD has been able to build a good partnership with both the state and other private sector institutions and has gained reputation within their ranks. CUAPWD’s work has greatly been supported and strengthened by the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services, CBCHS, through its different disability focused programs, The International Center for Disability and Rehabilitation, ICDR Cameroon-Canada, the Ministry of Social Affair, Local Government Authorities, Civil Society Organizations and many other Development Actors, who are gradually seeing inclusive development as the right approach for sustainable development.