2022

Leah Battillo

“The True Value of Educating and Advocating for Others”: An Interview with Kupenda’s New Board Chair, Leah Battillo

by Lauren Blair

  • Posted on December 20, 2022

This month, I had the privilege of interviewing Leah Battillo, a special education teacher, board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), and current Kupenda board chair. Last year, after deciding to step down from 12 years of board service (mostly as chairperson) to work as a program consultant for Kupenda, it was a privilege to transfer this meaningful…



Cindy and Nassir

A Shared Hope for the Future: Nassir’s Story

by Cynthia Bauer, Kupenda Founder and Executive Director

  • Posted on December 13, 2022

In mid-November I was able to visit Kenya and had the privilege of spending a little time with a young man named Nassir and his family. Nassir is one of the first students Kupenda supported and is now 22 years old. He is a perfect example of how supporting one individual can benefit many! How…



Intern

Contributing to Change as a Kupenda Intern

by Lucie Rutherford

  • Posted on December 2, 2022

For years, I have been interested in the intersection of public health and international aid. As a former global public health undergraduate at the University of Virginia and now a master of public health graduate student focused on policy, law, and ethics, I was eager to join Kupenda’s team. Thanks to connections between a former…



Community members receiving rice

Join Kupenda in Supporting Kenyan Communities This Giving Tuesday

by Rebecca Heidorn

  • Posted on November 29, 2022

“Karibu” is a Swahili word meaning “welcome.” This was a term I became quite familiar with over the course of my first trip to our innovation center in Kilifi, Kenya, where we have worked to help thousands of children with disabilities access care and support. I didn’t speak the language or fully understand the culture,…



Pendo 1

From Fear to Acceptance

by Sandra Bauer

  • Posted on November 28, 2022

Pendo (Swahili for “love”) is a young girl who was born with brittle bone disease that affects the development of her lower legs. Brittle bone disease, or osteogenesis imperfecta, is a lifelong genetic disorder that causes bones to break easily, even without injury. Both her mother, who is confined to a wheelchair, and her sister…



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