Help Kenyan children with disabilities into school

It has been a busy time at the DCC. The Centre marked the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3rd of December 2022, through an event which brought together like-minded organisations from across Meru County, to help raise awareness of the challenges facing persons with disabilities in Kenya, and to promote the rights and participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of Kenyan society. The event was graced by The Deputy Governor of Meru, and was very well attended. The event also showcased livelihoods crafts of persons with disabilities, and in-kind donations were distributed.

In other news, we are delighted to share that the DCC is working in partnership with HATW to construct desperately needed classrooms at Irindiro Special School in Meru. Classroom overcrowding at Irindiro presents substantial challenges for pupils and teachers alike, and once complete the new classrooms will ensure lessons can be delivered in an environment more conducive to learning and appropriate to the needs of children with disabilities. This project is funded by Welsh Government’s Wales Africa Grant Scheme, administered by WCVA. We look forward to bringing you more news on this exciting development in a future update.

Through the fantastic generosity of HATW's supporters, the Disability Community Centre (DCC) in Maua, Kenya, continues to nurture local children with disabilities – encouraging every boy and girl to develop their interests and talents, and supporting them to showcase and share these gifts with one another. Most recently, the DCC held a children’s forum to bring together children from the different special schools supported by the project.

The event provided an opportunity to interact and share the challenges faced by the institutions as well as celebrate successes. It was also a chance for the children with special needs to demonstrate their talents in song, dance and poems, providing a platform from which to express themselves and to inspire each other. You’ll find some wonderful pictures of the children’s forum included with this report.

HATW also recently made a combined effort with the mobility charity Motivation Africa to provide the DCC with 40 new wheelchairs and associated assembly, fitting and user training. HATW also continues to support the provision of sitting and standing aids to children who require such assistance to participate in daily life and the activities at the DCC. These initiatives are part of the DCC’s commitment to providing children with disabilities access to high quality equipment and support, helping ensure that they are able to succeed in their endeavours no matter the challenges they face.

The Disability Community Centre continues to provide assistive devices to children with disabilities. Some of these essential items are the sitting and standing aids. These devices are used by children who have a challenge in standing and/or sitting. They are essential in ensuring the children are able to participate in daily activities including joining the family routine and participating in play activities with other children.

The challenge is that the conventional sitting and standing aids are beyond the reach of most of the parents due to the cost. The DCC has embarked on making these items through appropriate technology. They are being manufactured using simple items such as paper and cardboard. The cost of the DCC item is just a fraction of the price of the conventional ones (less than a quarter of the cost). But some parents still cannot afford the cheaper DCC items. Please consider a donation if you would like to help these families. 

The pictures below demonstrate the process of making the items as well as children enjoying the end products...

Thank you for supporting the Disability Community Centre (DCC) in Maua, Kenya.

2021 was another busy and productive year for the DCC culminating in a very special celebration in December...

The DCC marked the International Day of Persons with Disability on the 3^rd of December 2021 with pomp and colour! The day was graced by His Excellency the Governor of Meru County among other dignitaries. His attendance was important in addressing the plight of persons with disability in Meru County including children and the need to access quality education.

Thanks to supporters, we were able to ensure that all safety precautions (masks, sanitizer etc.) were in place with respect to preventing the spread of Covid-19. 

During the day, an initiative to provide special identity cards was launched. These are to be issued to 8,000 persons with disabilities living in the region. This is a project that the Disability Community Centre has been working on over the past year - to register persons with disabilities in order to identify their needs and compel the government to allocate resources for these needs.

We look forward to keeping you updated throughout the year with news about this and other programmes run by the DCC.

HATW works in partnership with the Disability Community Centre (DCC), Kenya, a community project which supports children and families with disabilities, whilst increasing disability awareness. As well as this, the DCC supports initiatives in Athi and Irindiro and other local schools which provide residential education for children with impairments and disabilities. They do incredible work and make a significant difference to some of the most vulnerable children and families in the region.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about new challenges, particularly exacerbating the need for access to efficient technology. We want to support the DCC by raising £1,200 to purchase 3 laptops. Although it was the pandemic that sparked the necessity for efficient online access, providing new laptops to the DCC office also opens the door to new forward thinking approaches to training and supportive measures.

We are excited to be partnering with GlobalGiving to raise funds to support the incredible work of the DCC staff through the provision of three laptops.

GlobalGiving's Little by Little campaign runs all this week (13th - 17th September). All donations up to $50 (£36) will be matched at 50%. If you can, please support the DCC appeal and donate this week to make your money go further!

Links:

• Laptops appeal