Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Visiting programs and interesting people
I spent most of today visiting programs of both the Nairobi branch of the Kenya Association of the Intellectually Handicapped. I was accompanied by the National Chairperson, Stephen Kaboi Burugu, a forceful and wise family member and leader. Some photos of the day are posted. We started with a meeting with a half dozen families. Their concerns echo the concerns of families I meet everywhere, the US included: 1) Inclusive Education; 2) Meaningful work for their adult children; 3) What will happen for their children after the parents are dead?: and 4) How to translate rights into action and programs. Quite impressive.
We then saw a program where young people are being taught some vocational skills. They make things with beads and hairdressing also seems to be popular. But there were no people with significant disabilities and the building is not accessible.
We then went to the Riabai Youth Polytechnic
, a vocational two year program, run by the government, for people with and without disabilities. Taking off my western frame of how facilities should be (these were condemnable) the program offered little in the way of meaningful traiing for anyone.
We were then off to a meeting of families getting training about government benefits for their children and rape prevention and reporting. Truly an inspirational group. Like other KAIH groups, and there are parent groups all over the country, KAIH works to teach and empower families, not to do it for them, though they do when families simply cannot. They also combine, with these parent groups, microenterprises so that the groups can be self supporting and the many poor families can derive some income.
Finally off to the KAIH national office where I saw a small program for self advocates run by two young people, both of whom are siblings. This was the best program of its kind I have seen in a long time. The Kenyan constitution grants and references people with disabilities specific rights. This program teaches people about their rights, responsibilities and how to make those rights truly a reality. Very impressive.
Off to a reception and then a midnight flight to Brussels.
Until next time.
We then saw a program where young people are being taught some vocational skills. They make things with beads and hairdressing also seems to be popular. But there were no people with significant disabilities and the building is not accessible.
We then went to the Riabai Youth Polytechnic
, a vocational two year program, run by the government, for people with and without disabilities. Taking off my western frame of how facilities should be (these were condemnable) the program offered little in the way of meaningful traiing for anyone.
We were then off to a meeting of families getting training about government benefits for their children and rape prevention and reporting. Truly an inspirational group. Like other KAIH groups, and there are parent groups all over the country, KAIH works to teach and empower families, not to do it for them, though they do when families simply cannot. They also combine, with these parent groups, microenterprises so that the groups can be self supporting and the many poor families can derive some income.
Finally off to the KAIH national office where I saw a small program for self advocates run by two young people, both of whom are siblings. This was the best program of its kind I have seen in a long time. The Kenyan constitution grants and references people with disabilities specific rights. This program teaches people about their rights, responsibilities and how to make those rights truly a reality. Very impressive.
Off to a reception and then a midnight flight to Brussels.
Until next time.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Inclusion Africa-Nairobi
Travel to Nairobi was uneventful if long, and we were met at the airport and transported to our hotel. Was somehow still awake, so we had dinner and I was, of course, the first one to leave and head to sleep.
The meeting on Wednesday with Inclusion Africa included representatives and participants from more than a dozen countries. There was simultaneous translation into French for participants from French speaking countries. After welcomes and short presentations from various dignitaries
, I did my usual discussion of Article XIX and then the meeting was mostly devoted to questions, discussions and planning among the participants.
A series of issues and ideas were presented and most of them will sound familiar:
1) Who will be there for my child when I am not there? There are no services and families spending $ out of pocket to provide supports for their children. This greatly disadvantages families who are poor and excludes people from any time of formal support.
2) How to get more children to grow up as adults to become more independent?
a. Making certain that children in early childhood development center go to mainstream schools
b. Making schools and governmental organizations fulfill their social responsibility to people with disabilities?
c. Educating children and families who have children without disabilities about disability and exposing them to children with disabilities.
d) Training people in school so they will have skills to work.
3) Use technology and networks to link families and people with disabilities.
a. Rapid social changes in developing countries that will impact on people with disabilities-the impact is not known or understood.
b. Where to start-different in Africa than in Eastern Europe as few people are in residential institutions and therefore few financial resources to be redirected.
4) How to interact with religious institutions?
5) Use children with and without disabilities to help educate adults about disability. Children can be more accepting than adults.
6) Parents resistant to allowing their children with disabilities to participate in self advocacy programs.
7) What can the child with intellectual disabilities do in a particular community? As children age must have vocational training so that adults with disabilities can be productive and accepted?
8) Undertake a stakeholder analysis with the whole community as to what the stakeholder needs and what they can contribute.
a. Form parent self help groups to share experiences and support each other
b. What contributions are there for people with disabilities?
9) Inclusive education challenges. What happens when child with disability becomes an adult at 21?
10) Projects in Malawi using mothers to support other families.
11) Changing education laws to support inclusion.
a. Training of teachers
b. Funding
c. Some parents afraid or unwilling to send their children with disabilities to school
12) Coordination of implementation of convention. Which ministry will be responsible? Governments are unclear.
a. Disability impacts all domains
b. Each ministry, not just one or some
13) Significant problems with both physical abuse and ongoing sexual abuse
14) Government has signed the disability convention but a national council on disability to coordinate and highlight issues has yet to be established. (Tanzania)
a. Even though government created a law to implement CRPD the law has not been implemented.
b. Projects to create awareness of issues and challenges among families and government officials
c. Deliver skills to both parents and self advocates
d. Work to move from medical model to more social model
15) Handicapped International – issue of rights should be a focus.
16) What does living in the community mean in the African context? This is the big question and calls for more exploration and work. And it is African contexts, not just a single context.
17) What are the other factors- political, economic, etc. that get in the way of living in the community within the African context.
18) Take into account different cultural practices. Who lives where? Families together and close is a tradition to be honored.
All considered the issues, taken in their totality could be overwhelming, yet there is a sense of optimism from most of the participants.
The meeting on Wednesday with Inclusion Africa included representatives and participants from more than a dozen countries. There was simultaneous translation into French for participants from French speaking countries. After welcomes and short presentations from various dignitaries
, I did my usual discussion of Article XIX and then the meeting was mostly devoted to questions, discussions and planning among the participants.
A series of issues and ideas were presented and most of them will sound familiar:
1) Who will be there for my child when I am not there? There are no services and families spending $ out of pocket to provide supports for their children. This greatly disadvantages families who are poor and excludes people from any time of formal support.
2) How to get more children to grow up as adults to become more independent?
a. Making certain that children in early childhood development center go to mainstream schools
b. Making schools and governmental organizations fulfill their social responsibility to people with disabilities?
c. Educating children and families who have children without disabilities about disability and exposing them to children with disabilities.
d) Training people in school so they will have skills to work.
3) Use technology and networks to link families and people with disabilities.
a. Rapid social changes in developing countries that will impact on people with disabilities-the impact is not known or understood.
b. Where to start-different in Africa than in Eastern Europe as few people are in residential institutions and therefore few financial resources to be redirected.
4) How to interact with religious institutions?
5) Use children with and without disabilities to help educate adults about disability. Children can be more accepting than adults.
6) Parents resistant to allowing their children with disabilities to participate in self advocacy programs.
7) What can the child with intellectual disabilities do in a particular community? As children age must have vocational training so that adults with disabilities can be productive and accepted?
8) Undertake a stakeholder analysis with the whole community as to what the stakeholder needs and what they can contribute.
a. Form parent self help groups to share experiences and support each other
b. What contributions are there for people with disabilities?
9) Inclusive education challenges. What happens when child with disability becomes an adult at 21?
10) Projects in Malawi using mothers to support other families.
11) Changing education laws to support inclusion.
a. Training of teachers
b. Funding
c. Some parents afraid or unwilling to send their children with disabilities to school
12) Coordination of implementation of convention. Which ministry will be responsible? Governments are unclear.
a. Disability impacts all domains
b. Each ministry, not just one or some
13) Significant problems with both physical abuse and ongoing sexual abuse
14) Government has signed the disability convention but a national council on disability to coordinate and highlight issues has yet to be established. (Tanzania)
a. Even though government created a law to implement CRPD the law has not been implemented.
b. Projects to create awareness of issues and challenges among families and government officials
c. Deliver skills to both parents and self advocates
d. Work to move from medical model to more social model
15) Handicapped International – issue of rights should be a focus.
16) What does living in the community mean in the African context? This is the big question and calls for more exploration and work. And it is African contexts, not just a single context.
17) What are the other factors- political, economic, etc. that get in the way of living in the community within the African context.
18) Take into account different cultural practices. Who lives where? Families together and close is a tradition to be honored.
All considered the issues, taken in their totality could be overwhelming, yet there is a sense of optimism from most of the participants.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Inclusion Africa-Nairobi Day 1
Greeting. Actually day 1/4 as we got to Nairobi around 7 PM. I met with with Inclusion International Executive Director Connie Laurin-Bowie and staffer Anna MacQuarrie in Zurich and we had an uneventful trip to Nairobi. Swissair is very nice. To car chase type movies and read a lot.
The hotel is on the border of a game park about 10 minutes away from the airport.
I am meeting with someone with the Kenya Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development this AM and then United Disabled Persons of Kenya Executive Director Helen Obande and Phoebe Nyagudi, the Executive Director of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities leter in the day.
More tonight or tomorrow depending o how long I can stay awake.
The hotel is on the border of a game park about 10 minutes away from the airport.
I am meeting with someone with the Kenya Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development this AM and then United Disabled Persons of Kenya Executive Director Helen Obande and Phoebe Nyagudi, the Executive Director of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities leter in the day.
More tonight or tomorrow depending o how long I can stay awake.
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