Empowered to Empower: Carlos’ Story

Carlos, a 28-year-old man from Kenya, faced significant challenges. Diagnosed with brittle bone disease, his childhood was marked by frequent fractures, painful surgeries, and delayed school enrollment. His parents, Benjamin and Elizabeth, were unaware of his condition at first and struggled to provide the specialized care he needed. In addition, people in his community viewed disability as a curse. Despite these obstacles, Carlos’ journey has been one marked by perseverance, faith, and a commitment to empowering others. Today, Carlos is an advocate in his community, using his personal challenges to extend empathy and empowerment to other children with disabilities.

Overcoming Adversity

Carlos with Kupenda’s CEO, Cynthia Bauer

Growing up in a family of farmers, Carlos and his parents relied on small-scale agriculture for their livelihood. His father, a retired Kenya Defense Force officer, cultivated vegetables on their two-acre farm, while Carlos began raising chickens and goats to earn a living. However, without proper business training, scaling his efforts proved challenging.

Beyond economic struggles, Carlos experienced challenges to his health as a result of his disability. He endured the aftermath of an improperly performed surgery, which left him in persistent pain and stunted his physical growth. The lack of awareness about his disability made daily activities more difficult, as he unknowingly engaged in tasks that put his fragile bones at risk.

Kupenda’s Impact on Carlos’ Life

Since 2007, Kupenda for the Children has played a supporting role in Carlos’s life. Through the organization’s interventions, he has received:

• A proper medical diagnosis and guidance for his parents on how to care for him
• A referral to a doctor who successfully removed the painful plate in his leg, significantly improving his quality of life
• Enrollment and accommodations in Gede Mainstream School and, later, in Malindi High School
• Assistance with medical expenses when his family faced financial hardship.

A Passion for Advocacy and Leadership

Carlos is now an empowered advocate for people with disabilities, using his own experiences to encourage and educate others. Last year, he and his colleagues at the Maendeleo Persons with Disability Group attended Kupenda’s Disability Advocacy and Disability Types Trainings, which deepened their understanding of disabilities common in low-income countries. He has used that knowledge to actively support people with disabilities in his community, helping them access necessary resources and opportunities.

He provided motivational talks and, this year will co-facilitate Youth Disability Advocacy Workshops at local schools, sharing his story to emphasize the importance of inclusion. This spring, he will also participate in a Facilitators Training, enabling him to train Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in effective advocacy.

Gratitude and Hope

Reflecting on his journey, Carlos expresses deep gratitude for Kupenda’s support:

“I’m very grateful for Kupenda, because they made me who I am now. If it weren’t for them, I don’t think I could have succeeded, because I come from a very humble background. So, I am very pleased and grateful to have them supporting me in my career and education.”

Carlos’ story is a testament to the power of resilience and community support. With support from Kupenda for the Children and its dedicated partners, he is breaking barriers and building a future filled with possibility! Would you consider supporting others like him to testify that disability is not inability? Your support could open doors for other children, so they may utilize their untapped potential!

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