SAFARICOM FOUNDATION AND CBM KENYA COMPLETE THE THIRD PHASE OF WEZESHA ELIMU PROGRAMME

The Safaricom Foundation and CBM Kenya, an international disability inclusive development organization have successfully completed the third phase of the Wezesha Elimu Project with a mobile clinic held in Homabay Level 5 Hospital. Through the programme, the two organisations aim to address the factors that limit children with disabilities from accessing education.

During this third phase, one hundred and twenty two children underwent corrective surgeries,  seventy eight  received assistive devices, one hundred and twenty nine  parents, guardians and caregivers were trained on home based care, while five  schools were modified for better accessibility. Other activities included sensitization of community members about Covid-19 and capacity building sessions for different Ministry of Education members.

“We launched the first phase of the programme in 2016 with the main objective of securing education for children with disabilities in Kenya through surgical interventions and rehabilitation. Since then we have reached over twenty thousand children and this has been made possible through countrywide mobile clinics in some of the most marginalized counties in Kenya,” said Monica Wandera, programme co-ordinator, CBM Kenya.

The partnership has helped raise awareness and sensitise Kenyans about the rights of children with disabilities when it comes to education. There has been an increase in demand for surgical interventions and rehabilitation services as parents and guardians are now empowered with more information.In the first and second phase of the programme , four hundred and twenty  surgeries were performed, five hundred and thirty five  children with disabilities placed in schools, three hundred and eighty four  mobility assistive devices issued , while three hundred and forty seven  children underwent rehabilitation and  eight hundred and seventy nine  referred for specialized treatment.

According to the National Survey on Children with Disabilities and Special Needs in Education (KISE 2017), the prevalence rate of children with special needs and disabilities aged between three and twenty one years in Kenya is 11.4%.