Empowering Community Health Promoters to Challenge Disability Stigma in Kenya

Across the globe, more than one billion people, about 16% of the world’s population, are living with a disability. Yet children with disabilities remain among the most excluded and discriminated against. In many communities, harmful beliefs and misconceptions lead to stigma, neglect, and even violence against these children. Kupenda for the Children is working to change that narrative. 1 of the most promising ways we’ve done this is by equipping community health promoters (CHPs) to become advocates for disability justice and inclusion.

Why CHPs?

CHPs are uniquely positioned to drive community-level change. They are trusted health advisors, selected by their neighbors to support roughly 200 families each year—more than 1,400 individuals per CHP. Despite this influence, many CHPs lack the knowledge and tools needed to support people with disabilities effectively. Worse, some unknowingly reinforce stigma by sharing misinformation rooted in harmful traditional beliefs.

A CHP greets the family of a child with a disability

A Training Solution Rooted in Community

To address this gap, Kupenda partnered with the local Ministry of Health in Kenya to develop a Training Manual for Community Health Promoters on Disability Outreach & Inclusion. This practical, interactive curriculum helps CHPs build critical skills in:

• Disability awareness and rights

• Effective communication and counseling

• Community engagement and advocacy

• Referral and resource navigation

Each workshop includes testimonies from CHPs who have previously completed the training, as well as community members affected by disability. Through small-group action planning, participants strategize how they’ll apply these lessons in real-world contexts.

Transforming Communities: One Workshop at a Time

The impact has been significant. In the first thirteen weeks following their training, each CHP sensitized an average of 303 community members and improved access to services and inclusion for 11 people with disabilities. With around 25 CHPs trained per workshop, that means over 30,000 people sensitized and more than 1,100 individuals with disabilities impacted annually, from just one training cohort.

Open Resources for Global Adaptation

Kupenda’s training model is simple, low-cost, and highly adaptable. Our open-access resource library includes facilitator guides, fact sheets, monitoring tools, and a full Disability Guidebook.

We invite organizations and leaders around the world to explore these tools and consider how this approach could strengthen disability inclusion in their own communities.

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