Author: Jessica Charles Abrams

Keke

What Motivates our Pastors Disability Advocates?

by Jessica Charles Abrams

  • Posted on March 10, 2022

  Last year Kupenda interviewed 50 of the pastors we have trained as advocates for children with disabilities. This was a program evaluation exercise conducted alongside data analyst, Dr. Kathryn Quissell, from the University of Virginia, and implementing partner, Cross International. The pastors’ feedback gave us greater insight into what motivates them to work as…



Patty 6

Patty’s Perspective

by Jessica Charles Abrams

  • Posted on November 29, 2021

Patty Prasada-Rao is one of the warmest people you’ll ever meet. She has a big smile and an even bigger heart. When I sat with her for an interview earlier this year I knew we had a lot of ground to cover, as she’s been involved with Kupenda for nearly 2 decades as a Board…



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Disability Activist and Educator, Dr. Wilson, Reflects on her Visit to Kenya

by Jessica Charles Abrams

  • Posted on August 26, 2021

Dr. Keita Rone Wilson is the kind of person you want to talk with for hours. Although this interview was only 30 minutes long, it depicts many of her important perspectives on effective disability advocacy interventions and the work she saw when visiting our Kenyan field team in 2019. Dr. Wilson is a university professor,…



Lauren Blaire with children

“More than a Good Cause”: An Interview with Our Book Author, Board Chair and Supporter, Lauren Blair

by Jessica Charles Abrams

  • Posted on May 28, 2021

This month I had the honor of interviewing, Lauren Blair, the author of “An Unlikely Gift” – a book about Kupenda’s work and history. In addition to traveling to Kenya 4 times, including to interview Kenyan families and leaders for this book, Lauren has also served on Kupenda’s Board for the past 12 years and…



A glimpse at Kenyan teen, Amani Patrick, in 2013 versus 2021

Including Amani: A Young Man’s Journey to Independence

by Jessica Charles Abrams

  • Posted on March 10, 2021

When we first met Amani Patrick more than 10 years ago, he was struggling to communicate due to his limited sign language skills. Although his parents wished they could send him to school, their jobs as a painter and peasant farmer did not earn them enough income to cover his tuition fees. Amani Thrives at…



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