About Changemaker Aznova

Aznova was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize 2017. She lives in a community where children with disabilities are viewed as a burden. Disabled children often don’t have access to basic services like education and health care. With her project, Aznova wants to advocate for the inclusion of children with disabilities. She wants to show the youth in her community that disabled children can be role models. She also wants to improve their access to basic services.
What is the problem?
Barguna in Bangladesh, where Aznova is from, is a cyclone prone area and thus vulnerable to natural disasters. It does not offer inclusive disaster risk reduction initiatives for disabled people, who are much more at risk when disasters occur. Also, the education system is not inclusive and disabled children are left behind. People view disabled children as a burden of the family or community in general and as a result, disabled children have no proper access to services.
What is Aznova’s solution?
Aznova wants to provide disabled children with quality education and disaster risk reduction measures as well. She wants to raise awareness and change the public opinion on these two issues. She plans on doing this through a number of workshops and counselling sessions.
The participants of these workshops would be the disabled children, their parents, the community’s youth, local journalists and members of the local government.
During the workshop, she wants to empower disabled children to become role models in the community to show that every child has power and rights. Aznova wants children within her region to get organized as leaders and mobilize the community in favour of disabled children. Also, Aznova plans on having information sessions with disabled children and their parents to educate them that disability should not be seen as a burden on the family.
What is Aznova’s goal?
Aznova’s goal is that disabled children are seen as actual right-holding individuals, that are respected and adequately cared for appropriately to their condition. She thinks that her project will be successful once disabled children will no longer be undermined or discriminated against in her region.
Aznova’s other goal is that community leaders, service providers and local authorities realize the importance of serving disabled children and giving them adequate access to services like education, disabled-friendly infrastructure and cyclone shelters and adequate health services.
How does Aznova work?
Aznova plans on leading her project, but strongly counts on the involvement and participation of other children. She will coordinate the projects and cooperate with other children to achieve its success.
What does Aznova need?

Disabled-children friendly materials to play and learn

Who does Aznova need?
In order to implement her projects, Aznova will need support from professionals on disability issues to give disabled children their needed support and that respect their rights fully. Also, she needs the participation of (disabled) children and their parents.