Help Kenyan children with disabilities into school

Hands Around the World (HATW) has been partnering with the Disability Community Centre (DCC) in Meru, Kenya, for many years, supporting children with disabilities. The DCC delivers home-based therapy, trains caregivers, supports inclusive schools, and distributes assistive devices to improve mobility and posture.

Children with severe and multiple disabilities have complex healthcare needs and face unpredictable and potentially life-threatening health complications. Many of these children have limited mobility, are unable to maintain a correct posture, have difficulty swallowing or speaking, as well as challenges with vision, hearing and motor control. In Kenya, many of these children are cared for in very poor households with minimal access to support services and information.

To ensure these children and their families are supported, the DCC, in partnership with HATW, implements a home-based therapy programme. DCC staff travel to remote villages and visit the children in their homes to facilitate therapy sessions. These sessions help the children develop essential skills by improving their mobility, enabling them to participate more fully in daily life. The programme also trains parents and caregivers. By teaching practical skills in therapy and care (massage and mobility techniques) and by providing psychosocial and practical support, the programme ensures that care continues in between home visits, resulting in a better quality of care and life for these children.

Alongside this support, the programme provides specialised nutrition support for the most vulnerable families. The supplementary feeding programme is aimed at improving and maintaining the nutritional status of these children. Children are regularly provided with food rich in vitamin A and C, iron, protein, and other vital nutrients. The DCC has noticed that children receiving nutritional support have made significant improvements and have gained weight. The programme also trains and encourages families to establish kitchen gardens to grow nutritional vegetables to complement the feeding programme.

Training sessions are also held to raise awareness within communities and for families of children with disabilities. Parents who were previously reluctant to seek support for their children, now seek support. Raising community awareness about disabilities also helps to reduce stigma and promotes a more inclusive environment. To further raise awareness, in December 2025, the DCC celebrated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Thank you for being part of this programme and supporting these children. Your support is making a huge difference to the lives and dignity of these children.