This week we will be carrying the Paralympic torch through the heart of London. It is a fantastic honour, and wonderful recognition of some of the work we are doing to help people like us – youth with disabilities in Kenya – to take control of our own lives and escape lives of poverty and dependence.
To be even, a small part of London 2012 is a dream. With 2 million tickets sold, and the UK’s national television stations all covering the event, the eyes of the country and much of the globe will be on London, celebrating the achievements and talents of people with disabilities.
It only goes to show how different a World we will be flying into. In Kenya most people would never even consider that we have any potential, aspirations or talents.
The employer interviewing us for jobs, the teachers in schools, the bank manager considering whether to give us a loan for business, the Government department planning healthcare, even the parents deciding whether to spend money sending their disabled child to school – very few see us as equal or deserving. And our place in society is destined to be the dark alleys where people think we belong.
Many see us a burden or something to be ashamed of, or if we’re lucky someone to pity. Many don’t see a person at all, but Viwete or Kiguru - Swahilli words for ‘thing’.
When families fled serious political violence after our elections in 2007, some even took the opportunity to leave their children with disabilities behind. Our former president this month denounced the appointment of a highly educated, experienced human rights defender and public servant to an important government commission because he ‘cannot see’ the issues – he is blind. Unfortunately, many agree with him
It is this prejudice that denies the millions of disabled Kenyans living in poverty the tools they need to escape. I was lucky; as I had what every child needs - parents who have always believed in me. They believed in my talents and pushed me to gain the education I needed, and then supported me when I decided to start my own community organisation at 20 years old. But lets not think it came easy, my Dad has told me of the many questions he was asked on his decision to support my education. He could have invested all his time and money on my siblings, as they thought I was not a good enough investment venture due to my disability. It is people like my parents who are responsible for getting me to where I am today. They chose to look at me as a child like any other who deserved everything needed to succeed in life.
But less than 20% of children with disabilities make secondary school, and just 2% make university. ANDY’s programmes are designed to give people with disabilities the opportunities which society often denies us; the chance to take part in sports, learn how to write a business plan and access credit, gain an internship, get HIV and health information in a format they can understand, or build the skills to seek election. Every one of us who takes on a role in our community; from running a business to running for election, becomes more than their disability and asks questions of the old attitudes. It is the only way we challenge the stereotypes that have existed in our society because this is when we are viewed as contributors to the overall efforts of national development
And that’s why it is so important that we try to take some of this Paralympic magic back to East Africa, to inspire and support even more youth with disabilities in Kenya and change society’s attitudes on a much bigger scale. We are telling our story in schools, offices, government departments, in newspapers and across social media – challenging myths and changing minds.
Cheer them on from London Zoo at 10am on Wednesday.
To find out more about AbleChildAfrica’s life-changing work in East Africa, got to http://ablechildafrica.org, and follow us on facebook and Twitter. To donate Text 'Able11' followed by £5, £10 or £20 to 70070
