Disability Advocacy

A Journey Back from Despair: A Mother Tells Her Story of Healing

by Kupenda

  • Posted on September 24, 2026

Content Warning: This first-person story includes references to severe emotional distress, disability-related stigma, child neglect, attempted suicide, and attempted harm to a child. Please read with care. My name is *Zawadi, mother to Moses, who is a child with disability. I gave birth to my child well, but after one week, he fell sick, and…



African woman in a room of African men giving a speech

Caught Between Generations: The Hidden Toll of Sandwich Caregiving

by Kupenda

  • Posted on September 16, 2026

Sandwich caregivers (SCGs) are individuals who simultaneously care for dependent children and aging relatives, with disability sometimes adding to the caregiving needs of either generation. Sandwiched between generations, SCGs often provide this care without pay, recognition, or adequate support. Many SCGs are women between the ages of 30 and 60 who manage multiple caregiving responsibilities…



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 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, clothing,…



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