Cross International Partnership Equips Kupenda to Refine and Expand Life-Saving Disability Programs

Over the past five years, Cross International has become one of Kupenda’s most important partners in changing harmful beliefs about disability and expanding access to life-saving care, inclusion, and opportunity for thousands of children and families in and beyond Kenya.

In the early years of our partnership, Cross focused on strengthening Kupenda’s core disability advocacy trainings, helping us train more local leaders while also refining our workshop curricula, monitoring tools, and evaluation systems. Over time, the partnership evolved into a deeper technical collaboration that enabled Kupenda to pilot, evaluate, strengthen, and scale several innovative programs that are now creating long-term impact.

Livelihoods

One major area of support has been for our inclusive livelihoods program for youth with disabilities who have graduated from Kupenda programs, as well as caregivers of children with disabilities. Through entrepreneurship training, sustainable agriculture training, mentorship, and microloans, this Cross-supported program has helped 86 participants strengthen businesses and farms, increasing food security, income, stability, and long-term opportunity for families living in poverty.

Training of Trainers

Cross International also supported the development of a Training of Trainers (TOT) model that is now equipping hundreds of Kenyan leaders to effectively train and mentor their peers and colleagues as disability advocates. This model has dramatically expanded Kupenda’s reach while enabling our Kenyan staff to spend less time on training and, instead, focus their time on local leader mentorship, quality assurance, program management, and long-term systems change.

NGO Disability Inclusion Trainings

In 2024, Cross International also became our partner to convene its grantees for a Nonprofit Disability Inclusion Training led by Kupenda CEO, Cynthia Bauer. During this training, more than 28 nonprofit leaders from the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, Nicaragua, Uganda, and Zambia. These participants learned about the models and theology of disability and received support in developing disability inclusion policies for their own organizations. Today Kupenda continues to provide support to Cross’ nonprofit grantees to make their operations and programs more inclusive. 

Youth Inclusion and Anti-Bullying Training

Over the past two years, Cross International has also supported Kupenda’s youth disability advocacy workshops. This partnership enabled Kupenda to pilot, test, evaluate, and strengthen workshop materials and measurement tools to ensure that both children with and without disabilities better understood the true causes of disability and rejected harmful beliefs that disabilities are caused by curses, witchcraft, or contagion. As a result, participating schools have seen stronger peer support, more inclusive attitudes, reduced bullying, and increased disability inclusion among students and teachers.

Nutrition and Safe Feeding Trainings

Two years ago, Cross International also supported life-saving nutrition trainings for caregivers of children with disabilities, including guidance related to nutrition, hydration, and safe feeding techniques for children with swallowing and feeding difficulties.

Through this partnership, Cross International has helped transform harmful community norms while enabling children with disabilities and their families to access life-saving healthcare, inclusive education, livelihoods support, and greater dignity and belonging within their communities. Kupenda is grateful for this partnership and shared commitment to creating a world where every child is valued, included, and loved.