disability advocacy

Disability Inclusion in Sierra Leone

Casting a Wider Net for Disability Inclusion in Sierra Leone

by Lauren Blair

  • Posted on July 18, 2023

For the past five years, Enable the Children (ETC), a program under World Hope International (WHI), has been utilizing Kupenda’s disability trainings among community leaders in Sierra Leone. These trainings are crucial in many low-income communities where disabilities are believed to be caused by witchcraft or a curse. In these environments, the difference between someone…



Two Kenyan children smile at school in Gede

Results from Kupenda’s Life-Saving Covid-19 Emergency Response Interventions

by mmcmurray

  • Posted on March 24, 2021

By, Madeleine McMurray 2020 was a universally difficult year, and the world’s most vulnerable children – those impacted by disabilities – were also those who faced the greatest impact and potential for further harm. The UN’s Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has urged global leaders and governments to “place people with disabilities at the center of COVID-19…



Emily Morrison receiving a donor appreciation gift at Kupenda’s 2019 Spring Celebration. Emily has given generously, both on her own and through her family foundation, to support children with disabilities in Kenya for more than 6 years. Hundreds of children are alive and thriving today because of her unwavering support and compassion.

How Do I Love a Body that Does not Love Itself?

by Kupenda

  • Posted on March 7, 2021

So often we write and talk about disability, but what does disability actually feel like for the people who experience it? What is their physical and social reality like on a daily basis? How does their disability shape the way they see themselves and the world? Earlier this month, one of Kupenda’s longtime friends and…



Three women standing within a circle of listening women

Blessed: Lessons Learned from our Work with Traditional Healers

by Jessica Charles Abrams

  • Posted on March 4, 2021

By, Jessica Charles, Kupenda’s Development Director The first time I sat in a workshop alongside 25 Kenyan traditional healers, I was nervous. I’d heard that these herbalists, soothsayers and witchdoctors were conducting painful traditional healing practices on children with disabilities in their communities — things like skin cutting, exorcisms, and live burials. Some of them…



Headshot of a woman, Michele Reber, wearing a blue shirt

“It Gives Me a Sense of Joy”: An Interview with Kupenda’s Friend, Michele Reber

by Jessica Charles Abrams

  • Posted on March 2, 2021

In this interview, our long-time support and friend, Michele Reber, shares stories of Kupenda’s early years and her perspective on our evolving approaches to disability inclusion. In her responses, Michele also describes how her relationship with Kupenda and its founder has kept her invested in our work for the past 19 years. We cannot thank…



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