Disability Advocacy

A group of African women gathered outdoors in a rural village, wearing colorful clothing and patterned wraps. Several women carry children, while a woman in a green shirt and red headscarf plays a small wind instrument. A thatched-roof building and trees are in the background.

When One Mother Finds Her Voice, a Community Finds Its Strength

by Violet Paiva

  • Posted on September 4, 2026

From Uncertainty to Understanding When Nikiti first noticed that her six-month-old son could not sit on his own, she did not know what was wrong. Like many parents raising a child with a disability, she faced uncertainty and questions in a community where disability can carry deep stigma. But Nikiti’s story did not end with…



Three smiling students in matching school uniforms pose together outdoors, with one student forming a heart shape with their hands

Back to School: Recognizing the Gifts Around Us

by Lauren Blair

  • Posted on August 28, 2026

This summer, I had the privilege of returning to Kenya to see Kupenda’s programs in person. Although I first traveled there almost 20 years ago as a volunteer and returned several times, I had not visited since 2012. I never imagined those early trips would eventually lead me to chair Kupenda’s board, then join its…



Woman standing outside a stone home with a blue water barrel and a small child’s chair in the courtyard.

Building Livelihoods Programs That Include Caregivers and Youth with Disabilities

by Jessica Charles Abrams

  • Posted on July 28, 2026

For years, Lea Guyo worked hard to support her family in rural Kilifi, Kenya. But her income from farming and small businesses was seasonal and unpredictable. Caring for her son Samuel, who has Down syndrome, also required significant time and attention, limiting how consistently she could work. Her family often struggled to afford food, healthcare,…



More Alike Than Different

by Kupenda

  • Posted on July 28, 2026

By Grayson Blair, Age 12 My mom, Lauren Blair, works for Kupenda in the U.S. and has been talking about Kupenda’s mission to support people with disabilities for a long time. She’s told my younger brother and I lots of stories about the people she’s met and the schools she’s visited in Kenya. We also…



Kenya and the Power of Care That Connects Us

by Kupenda

  • Posted on June 23, 2026

By: Motivational Speaker, Becky Jackson Curran There are moments in life that redefine who we are. For me, my 2013 trip to Kenya was one of them. When I traveled to Nairobi to speak at the launch of the Association of People with Dwarfism in Kenya, I knew I was stepping into something far bigger…



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