Help Kenyan children with disabilities into school

Lydia B and I spent March 2015 volunteering with North Meru Disability Community Centre (DCC), Kenya. It is situated in the town of Maua, on the slopes of the Nyambene Hills, at a dizzying height of 1700m. Depending on where we were heading on our almost daily journeys, sometimes we came across spectacular views of Mount Kenya, vast pea-green tea plantations but, most importantly, always a sincere and very warm welcome by Kenyan adults and children alike.

The DCC’s objective is ‘to empower the marginalised communities with emphasis to the disabled children’. We went into the field four days each week with the centre’s occupational therapist, Norah, and their physiotherapist, Anthony. On one occasion, after being dropped off by matatu, we ventured into the tropical forest on foot, following a dried up river bed, to find 8 year old Timothy, lying listlessly on a sofa in his family’s windowless wooden-built single room home. He is one of many children in the area suffering with cerebral palsy. After Anthony had spent time stretching his limbs and joints, helping to support him in a sitting position, he soon came round and delightfully engaged with his immediate environment and company. The work of the DCC includes seeking out families with a disabled child and encouraging them to access services that can provide support, encouragement and reduction of stigma.

Each Tuesday at the DCC is a drop-in clinic. Here we met 5 year old Judith; her parents were in consultation with Norah who diagnosed flat feet. Judith came back to the clinic the following Tuesday to meet with Julius, who, with conviction, got to work in his workshop to make a pair of orthopaedic in-soles.

Julius in the DCC’s workshop making in-soles for Judith 

Judith trying out her bespoke orthopaedic in-soles.

We were made to feel very involved and were provided with an insight into the dedicated work being carried out to support and encourage some of the poorest families for whom daily life is difficult in their challenge to raise the quality of life for their dear children.