Memory of Toshie san
Ms. Toshie Oshitomi (Toshie san) was one of the resource persons of ILDC 2018. She shared her experience as a community worker for creating inclusive society, using a wheel chair and artificial respirator for the disease of Myasthenia Gravis. We all were deeply inspired with her positive way of living. Sadly, she passed away in April 2021.
Here is an article by one of the participants who learned from Toshie san.
By Sreyleak Nob, ILDC 2018, Cambodia
It was one of the sessions in ILDC 2018 that I met Toshie san. She was the resource person for the session on disability and community-based inclusive development. She shared us about her life from being hospitalized to returning home to live as one of the citizens in 2012 that she won the right to make decision and her activities for creating inclusive society.
My learning and application
Her story completely changed the concept of “disability” in my mind. In fact, everyone has different abilities. Like Toshie san, she has advocacy skill that she helps others to empower themselves to receive accessible and appropriate services. On the contrary, everyone can be a person with disability such as (my) limitation of English language skill. Another learning is self-advocacy. She taught us that the persons with disability themselves should realize their ability and roles to be the key actors to advocate and demand for the government of what they need. It is important that they should empower themselves without depending on others.
In Cambodia, many people with disabilities are still being excluded from the society and not provided with care and welfare service by the government. This reality makes them feel low self-esteem and suffer from discrimination and poverty. International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) has promoted awareness and inclusion by strengthening sports athletes with disability in Cambodia.
I facilitated to implement a sport program for awareness raising on inclusiveness among school youth. Our social workers and I had communication with a school to have an opportunity that students visit the sports athletes with disabilities. They played sports together and appreciated their ability of the athletes, whom they seemed to always need assistance. Therefore, public could see their ability rather than disability.
We also conduct home visits for families of the persons with disability. When we ask about their daily lives and needs, they answered that they are not confident to talk or raise their needs to service providers because they are poor and not educated. Therefore, I am trying to encourage them to raise a voice, step by step and find appropriate people to listen to their voices.
As I learned from Toshie san, everyone has inner energy. I believe that all of us would have potential abilities and can participate to advocate for our rights. I am going to support to create such community that people can gain acknowledgement and justify barrier for everyone with no one left behind so that the inclusion will be achieved in our community.
