LATEST UPDATE
Several remote communities of disabled people and their families throughout this rural region have been cut off due to no public transport and restricted movement from outside of the region.
Soap and masks made by enterprises of disabled people and their families together with medication, food and other provisions are being distributed throughout the Kibwezi region.
Much of the food distributed was also grown and harvested by Fursa groups. The Fursa project has come together and proving that disabled people and their families have real worth. Its amazing!
The Fursa initiative was introduced to assist disabled people and their families to establish enterprises to create sustainable livelihoods.
Our local partner, the Kibwezi Disabled Peoples Organisation and project coordinator Dr Cecila Nyaga, together with the three Fursa enterprises, are smashing barriers and saving lives.
The mission has been joint funded by the Welsh government’s Wales for Africa emergency Covid-19 response fund.
Founder and chairperson Trevor Palmer says “This emergency mission is enabling communities to survive. Over 300 disabled people and their families have been supported so far. Our partnering with local Disabled Peoples Organisations is key to our development enabling disabled peoples perspectives on independence, opportunities and survival to be prioritised”.
Covid-19 emergency joint funding from the Welsh Governments Wales for Africa programme has been received to support us and our Kenyan partners to get soap basic provisions and PPE distributed to disabled people and their families in the Kibwezi region of Kenya.
Several remote communities throughout this rural region are cut off due to no public transport and restricted movement from outside of the region. The situation is getting serious and the welfare of hundreds of families is at stake.
This emergency mission will be co-ordinated in Kenya by our partner Dr Cecilia Nyaga and managed locally by the Kibwezi Disabled Peoples Organisation (KDPO). They are also our partners in our Fursa initiative which has been put on hold due to Covid-19.
The local terrain is only passable by four wheel drive vehicles, motorcycles and on foot. Suitable motorcycles will be purchased along with soap, basic provisions and PPE so that families in these remote communities will remain in tact.
We have been working with Dr Cecilia Nyaga and the KDPO since our exploration visit to Kenya in 2013. Earlier this year the Wales for Africa programme joint funded our Fursa initiative pilot. Meaning opportunities in Swahili, Fursa is an initiative to assist disabled people and their families to create their own sustainable enterprises.
The pilot had just been completed when coronavirus started to spread so the Fursa initiative was put on hold. Three enterprises are now ready to trade and create sustainable future livelihoods but this now may not happen until 2021.
We understand the therapeutic, financial and community benefits enterprise can provide to people with disabilities which is an important area of our work.