Kenya

We are now working in Kenya with two implementing partners:

KEDAN (Kenya Disabled Action Network)

Kenya Disabled Action Network is a community based organisation run by and for disabled young people. KEDAN wants to ensure that the experiences, needs, concerns and aspirations of young disabled people in Kenya are met. KEDAN carries out capacity building and advocacy activities to ensure that disabled young people both know and demand their rights and also seeks to help improve the socio-economic status of young disabled people many of whom are living with severe poverty. AbleChildAfrica is supporting KEDAN to develop a plan for the coming three years focusing on advocacy, capacity building and economic empowerment.

"Disabled people in Kenya don't have a place. We don't have any rights at all." George became disabled after contracting polio. His parents were not understanding about his disability and felt that he would achieve nothing but through the support of his brother, he got a temporary job but was soon let go due to his disability.

George took this negativity and turned it into a positive as one of a number of young disabled people that came up with the idea for KEDAN. George quickly worked his way up from volunteer to heading the Behaviour Change Project, which aims to educate young disabled people about HIV and substance abuse.

In the future George hopes to further his education and make a difference. Being stigmatised by family and society it can be difficult, but he wants to establish himself and not have to depend on others

Elizabeth lost her hearing when she was two years old and is now a teacher at the deaf-blind unit at Kilimani Primary School in Nairobi. Though she loves her work, it gives her a tremendous sense of satisfaction and independence; she feels that it is not fair that as a deaf person herself, it is difficult to access the educational opportunities that she aspires to. She enjoys watching films with subtitles, reading motivational, autobiographical and inspirational books as well as meeting her friends for coffee! In the future Elizabeth would like to study for a degree and she is very keen to take every opportunity that life presents to her.

Robert lost his sight when a tyre was over inflated and it exploded in his face. Robert is a peer educator in KEDANs behaviour change project and is also involved in a number of other community-based initiatives in the informal settlements in Nairobi.

As someone whose disability developed as a young adult, one of Robert's concerns is the massive gap between mainstream schools and special needs schools and Robert recognises the need to close this gap, "there should not be such a gap between mainstream and special schools and instead inclusion should be a key aspect in giving everyone their basic rights."

Robert is very keen on football and is an avid supporter of Arsenal football club. He hopes very much that they will improve their league position next season. He also wants to gain better access to technologies which will aid him, and other visually impaired people to have more privacy when using technologies such as text and email.

Fredrick is an orphan and lives in Nairobi. He lost his hearing while he was in High school and is now studying agriculture at the Karen Technical Institute for the Deaf but bemoans his lack of employment opportunities for young people with disabilities, "It can be very difficult for deaf people to get jobs even if they study and it is also extremely difficult to get raise the capital to start any kind of business." Fredrick enjoys a vibrant social life which revolves around playing sports, particularly football and volleyball. When he has completed his studies Fredrick would like to return to the rural area in western Kenya where he was born.

Click here to support our work with KEDAN

Little Rock

Little Rock is an early child education centre for children living in Kibera, the largest informal settlement in Nairobi. The centre has integrated disabled children into all of its classes. The teachers believe that by including disabled children from an early age they can illustrate the benefits of an inclusive education and help parents realise their children's potential in spite of their disability. AbleChildAfrica is supporting Little Rock to include more disabled children and improve the support it provides both to young disabled children and to their parents.

In future we hope that Little Rock will become an example to government and donors of how early interventions can improve the opportunities available for young disabled children in an inclusive environment.

Other ways to help

You can support our work in a variety of other ways:

• Run the marathon for us
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