Disabled Youth in Africa

After experiencing a life changing experience and a mutual friendship that Best Buddies provides to both students with and without intellectual disability, 16 students from Ngei high school were recruited into Best Buddies movement. Each new recruit “peer buddy” (a student without intellectual disability) was matched into a one-to-one friendship with a “buddy” (a student with intellectual disability) from Mathare special school bringing to a total of 80 matches from 45 matches in the year 2009.” At first I was kind of afraid to have a friend with intellectual disability because I thought I would also be affected, that’s why I couldn’t join Best Buddies, but after watching the development of my classmate’s friendship with his buddy, I came to realize that it is just a normal friendship that comes with lots of joy and experience in someone’s life. On the other hand the way peer buddies have been having their chapter activities and meetings, it clearly shows how Best Buddies also builds leadership skills amongst students without intellectual disability who have been matched into a one-to-one friendship with buddies. “Said 15 year old Nahashon Omondi, a newly recruited peer buddy from Ngei High school who is in form one.



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Best Buddies Kenya would like to express its utmost THANKS to: all the donors who have been donating through Global Giving , teachers of Ngei high school and Mathare special school for their continous programmatic support and the entire Best Buddies Student volunteers for making it happen…