Better Lives for Vulnerable People in East Africa

It’s been a busy four months working towards our goal of Better Lives for Vulnerable People in East Africa. During this period, Advantage Africa sent 94 grants, ranging in value from £16 to £11,134, to our partners in Kenya and Uganda to improve the lives of vulnerable people. They included stipends for 32 hard-working project managers and workers, and grants for the 20 projects that we fund addressing poverty, disability, albinism and HIV. As a kind supporter of this work, we’d like to assure you that every one of those grants is budgeted, acknowledged and accounted for to the nearest Kenyan or Ugandan Shilling.

Among our project areas is Makueni County in Kenya. It is a drought-prone region with poor infrastructure and high poverty where most people rely on subsistence farming to survive. There are no public rehabilitation services and people with disabilities struggle to access even the most basic assistive devices. The simple lack of a wheelchair can often cause children to be left out of education, or mean that people lack the mobility required for them to earn a living. Some people are left housebound or face the indignity of getting around by crawling or shuffling on the ground.

Our partnership with Kibwezi Disabled Persons' Organisation (KDPO) is transforming this situation through its rehabilitation workshop - the only facility of its kind in the entire County of 3,092 square miles. With two skilled technicians, the workshop provides wheelchairs (sourced from our international partner Motivation), walking and sitting aids, crutches and special footwear as needed. Our team undertake clinical assessments and provide expert fitting, maintenance and follow-up that enables people with disabilities to be mobile and active in the economic and social life of their communities.

Maria is one beneficiary of this initiative. Empowered by her tricycle and with further support to establish a small business, she now runs a small shop in her community from which she earns an income to meet the basic needs of her family. The discrimination she used to encounter due to local beliefs surrounding disability has reduced and her confidence grown enormously. She has gained mobility and self-reliance and feels hopeful about her future. You can watch a short interview with KDPO founder Agnes Musembi which also features Maria at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmHOanXRZVU&t=15s

Thank you for your support towards this project which is transforming the lives of hundreds of disadvantaged people like Maria. Please consider making another donation at https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/better-lives-for-vulnerable-people-in-east-africa/ during ‘Little by Little’ week, 8-12 April 2024, when your gift will be match-funded with an additional 50% from GlobalGiving.