43% of the disabled population in Kenya are children. Disabled children are often seen as a punishment or a curse on a family, leading to children with disabilities being abandoned or abused. We support two specialist schools in Kenya to provide education, nutritional support, therapies and counselling for children with physical disabilities or Special Educational Needs (SEN). Our programme also works closely with families and the wider community to break down stigma and provide support.
43% of the disabled population in Kenya is between the ages of 0-14. One in three children living with a disability has multiple disabilities. Mainstream schools don't cater for these children, specialist schools are rare and expensive. Disabled children or children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are often seen by families and communities as a curse which can lead to disabled children being abused or abandoned. Parents do not have the knowledge or support to care for a disabled child.
We support Kirunguru School in Kandara District and Percy Davies School in Kambiti, offering specialist residential education, therapies and personal care. We work with parents and the wider community to challenge stigma and harmful attitudes towards disabled people and work with partners to carry out assessments on children from the local communities and advise parents on educational and care plans. We work to get disabled children into mainstream education where possible.
67% of the disabled population in Kenya lives in poverty; not having access to appropriate education and care leads disabled children into a life of poverty as adults. Our project seeks to find disabled children in the community and provide them with appropriate education and therapies to ensure they have the earliest intervention possible and the best chance of fulfil their potential. We work with parents and the wider community to create long-term attitude change about disability.
