Photo Gallery

Photos showing the progress of our Fursa initiative in Kibwezi, Kenya

During the 24 hours of continuous water testing for pressure and quality, Cecilia, Kitengela Rotary Club members and the local community enjoy the moment.

Fursa Initiative coordinator Cecilia, local community members and Kitengela Rotary Club members celebrating the drilling in Ngulu district.

Thanking God for the gift of water. The Kitengela Rotary Club members and Nzembi's community come together.

The Kitengela Rotary Club members meet to discuss water pumping strategy prior to drilling.

The Kitengela Rotary Club members visiting Nzembi's vegetable garden.

The Fursa initiative has completely transformed Nzembi's way of living.

Francis in Nzembis vegetable garden. It is important that Fursa initiave leaders become role models.

Ngaikini Fursa group funding meeting. They have a secure office where they store all their documents.

Francis and Jacinta have been able to construct a completely new house for themselves and their children from income earned from their Fursa Initiative-supported enterprise.

The new weaved baskets.

Creating the foundations for the sustainable growing of vegetables.

The car is too low and is now stuck in the ground. On the way to Itangini Fursa group for business skills training.

Yikivara Fursa group funding meeting.

A sprouting pumpkin in Ms. Nzembi's garden. An assurance for food security, as well as enhancing her business.

Francis with sisal wovan bag and baskets

Trevor Palmer and guests at summer Fursa initiative fundraising event at Newport Cricket Club

Ngaikini's tricycle after renovation

Ngaikini's tricycle after renovation

Ngaikini's tricycle before renovation

Hanging beehives of a Fursa group member

Hanging beehives of a Fursa group member

Hanging beehives of a Fursa group member

Lena, a member of the Kyanginywa Fursa group in her business. She rears goats for sale.

Patricia from the Kyanginywa Fursa group. She rears goats and cows.

Alex and his family. They use the bull and a cart to fetch water for sale as a business.

The Chairperson of the Kyanginywa Fursa group in his Okra vegetable farm. He farms vegetables as a business.

The secretary of the Kyanginywa Fursa group in their farm. Behind is a plantation of pigeon peas.

The treasurer of the Kyanginywa Fursa group. She farms cow feed grass as a business.

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Photos from our exploratory visit to Kibwezi and Embu in 2013

ResponsABLE Assistance volunteers Vaughn and Katie were hosted in the central Kenyan town of Kibwezi by the KDPO, the local disabled peoples organisation, and in Embu, by Dr Cecilia Nyaga, a leading figure in the promotion of disability rights and inclusive education. One of the most valuable tasks performed by the KDPO is the incredible work they do from very limited supplies, in making and refining disability related equipment and independent living aids for local disabled people to use.

The entrance to the Kibwezi Disabled Peoples Organisation (KDPO), where trees surround the small buildings which are set back off a dirt road

Staff members of the KDPO outside the entrance to their small office

A KDPO staff member sitting in the workshop which is where equipment is made and repaired for local disabled people

A mother pushes her two disabled children in the same wheelchair — It seems prevalent in African society for the father to leave his family if a child is born with a disability. Thankfully, the children are often fortunate to have amazing mothers.

A Mother shelters from the sun under an umbrella and smiles at her disabled child who is sitting on her lap

A young boy who has a physical disability laughs with his Mother as he sits on her lap

A young physically disabled man crawls across the dirt floor of the communal yard which is shared by several households — We were extremely grateful to meet many disabled people who shared with us a little of their lives.

A little girl who happens to be deaf smiles with delight at a few small toys she has been given

Another physically disabled man smiles at the camera while he sits on the floor

A blind lady sits quietly with her hands in her lap

Villagers talk to us while sitting under the shade of a large tree — We met people in their tiny hamlets and villages and were frequently left in awe by how tidy clean all the small communities we visited were, and especially, how the Mothers built the houses for their families.

Four small buildings surround a communal yard

A group of people we met, including several community workers affiliated to the local church stand with us to have their picture taken — Everyone we met welcomed us warmly and we spent the time sitting and talking so we could learn as much about their lives as disabled people and discover ways in which we may be able to support them.

A small group sit and talk to us while a Community Worker translates what they are saying

We talk to an older gentleman who uses crutches and looks immaculate in his white shirt, black jacket & grey hat

A group of ladies who manage the highly impressive and successful Kenera Water Project all smile for the camera at the entrance to their office

A wheelchair in a very poor state of repair — Any disability related equipment such as wheelchairs were often in a very poor state of repair.

Another wheelchair brought out for us to see is very old and damaged and with only one large back wheel left

Two of the student girls at one particular school smile as they have their picture taken — The warm welcome was particularly special in the schools we visited to learn what sort of experiences their disabled students have.

A classroom where three students have to sit closely together on each small and narrow bench table

A boy smiles broadly at the camera

A group of children grinning and raising their hands while out in the school yard

A large group of young children are all excited as they pose for the camera

A teacher who has a physical disability and uses crutches smile at us while standing at the front of her classroom as all the children stand quietly behind her at their desks — Many disabled children sadly do not go to school but where they do and from what we were able to see, they often benefit from inclusive education. One class was particularly aware, benefitting as they do from a teacher who also has a disability.

A young girl with a physical disability stands shyly on the dirt floor of her classroom

A group of disabled children who use the boarding facility at their school have their photo taken with us and their teachers in the school’s small garden

A ResponsABLE Assistance representative talks to one school’s Special Needs Coordinator. Concrete ramps are clearly visible to allow wheelchair access into the classrooms

A group of students are gathered around a table to all make and roll out pastry — One special school we visited in Embu was especially impressive as it taught its students a range of practical skills from husbandry to cookery, mosaics to hairdressing.

A collection of beautiful mosaic pictures are displayed on the ground in one classroom

A girl practises cutting and blow drying the hair of a fellow student

Justin sits in his wheelchair in the roadside shack from where he has built a successful shoe repair business — People are incredibly resourceful and despite often grinding poverty can make small businesses out of very little. We met shoe makers, Margaret and Justin and sweet shop owner, Rebecca, all of whom had physical disabilities.

Margaret sits on the floor of her roadside shack surrounded by the tools and materials she uses to mend and clean people’s shoes

Rebecca, who uses crutches and a raised shoe, shows us her tiny sweet shop

Margaret’s manual wheelchair sits outside her small, low shack while representatives from ResponsABLE Assistance meet and talk with her — Margaret, a single Mum, supports her 2 children by running her business from this roadside shack.

Margaret sits in the entrance of her shack, which is made from wood and corrugated iron sheets and in a poor state of repair

Margaret holds a sandal she has just cleaned for its owner

Three workers pick coffee beans — The difference water can make was graphically illustrated by the Kenera Water Project, near Embu, which has brought a much better standard of living to one particular village as crops can now be planted, which in turn, creates a better standard of living.

A field of crops laid out in neat rows

Five children playing and having fun in a puddle of overflow water

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