African Disability Collaboration: Creating New Partnerships for Disability Advocacy

by Lauren Blair

One of the most important aspects of Kupenda’s mission is to reduce harmful stigma and beliefs surrounding disability to those that improve lives. As part of this effort, Kupenda staff in Kenya participated in the African Disability Summit in Uganda last July.

Attending as part of the African Disability Collaboration[1] working group, they collaborated with other organizations, brainstorming ways to educate communities about disability justice and inclusion. Afterwards, they worked with colleagues, including the Kyaninga Child Development Center and the Mukisa Foundation, to share our strategies and materials for training pastors and traditional healers as disability advocates.

When this was completed, they assisted these colleagues in conducting two trainings of their own, one for 11 pastors and one for 11 traditional healers. Each training incorporated discussions about the medical causes of disability, the impact of belief systems surrounding disability, and what appropriate intervention looks like. Participants also worked with facilitators to develop actions plans for going out into their communities and supporting people with disabilities in their midst.

Based on past program impact data, we estimate that the participants in these two workshops will go on to educate 4,490 community members about disability justice and improve the lives of approximately 343 children with disabilities in the first year alone!

As a result of your support and that of our partners, we are excited to expand to new regions, testifying to the worth of individuals with disabilities and expanding their opportunities to fill meaningful roles in their communities!


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[1] Our partners in the African Disability Collaboration included The Action Foundation, Masana wa Afrika, Fount for Nations, Community Based Inclusive Development Organization (CBIDO), Kyaninga Child Development Centre, Arthur B Schultz Foundation, Gabriella Children’s Rehabilitation Centre, the CRI Foundation, the Imago Dei Fund, and the Tawingo Fund.

 


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