Action Foundation urge parents not to hide children with disabilities during the International Day of Play
Photo Courtesy : The Action Foundation
NAIROBI, Kenya, June 12 – The Action Foundation marked 2nd edition of International Day of Play for children with disabilities at Dagorreti Special School in Nairobi which brought together more than 100 children from Dagorreti, Kibera, Mathare, Mukuru kwa Njenga and some other children from the Community who took part in various social activities.
Maria Omare, Founder and Executive Director of Action Foundation noted that children living with disabilities have capacities like any other children as they can play, can be engaged as play is a therapy and a very key pillar for the development in any child.
“We are hosting this event not just as one major day but to ensure that going forward other children with disabilities can come out of their homes be engaged in play activities within their household, families and also be given an opportunity to go to school where possible”, said Ms. Omare.
Since its inception in 2009, The Action Foundation has reached more than 25,000 children and families in Nairobi as well as other communities in Kenya, they also plan to extend reach to Kajiado, Kilifi and Samburu counties as numbers of children living with disabilities grow resulting from a lot of outreaches.
The Executive Director further expressed concern that a lot of children with disabilities remain hidden becoming a huge barrier on earlier identification which means the disability can be identified later than it should be which might need critical service in order to succeed, she noted that through activities such as International day of play encourages parents to bring out their children.
“All the children identified, less than 15 percent take part in play activities because of Stigma in communities, families lacking acceptance that their child has a disability, We are raising awareness of importance of inclusion and families and communities supporting these children to thrive and access essential services “, she added.
Head of Occupational Therapy at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, Michael Mwangi stressed the importance of therapeutic play in helping children with disabilities develop cognitive and social skills.
“A child’s occupation is play, But for children with disabilities, therapeutic play is not just fun, it’s a structured intervention to help them reach developmental milestones,” stated Dr. Mwangi.
Dagorreti Special School Principal and National Chairman Special Needs Board Mr. Francis Omanyala lauded Action Foundation for their exemplary work highlighting that the event has played a crucial role as children need play for their growth as they learn to coordinate among themselves and learn to share and socilize with others.
“Socialization is a big aspect in our communities and societies, we embrace the day today it has been done well and we thank Action Foundation and hope it will go a long way in assisting these learners “, said Mr. Omanyala.
Omanyala further called on the Ministry of Education to enhance sporting for special needs learners noting that it is a pathway for them they need to be given opportunities where they can explore their talents and become useful citizens of the society.
“We are sure that they are able to make a living out of sports and this is why we are emphasizing seriously and thoroughly on their sporting activities be it regionally, Nationally so as to get their own way of survival in the society”, he added.
Furthermore, Action Foundation intervenes on all spectrum of disabilities, according to categories recognized by the Kenyan government where are Dagorreti Therapy Centre most of the clients have developmental disability with celebrations palsy leading as well as others.
The Foundation has given a therapy centre free of charge for all learners with special needs as the school is doing its part of creating awareness.
Ms. Omare noted that the 2025 Persons With Disabilities Act is a huge step for Kenya in advancing the rights for Persons living with disabilities noting that there a lot of work still need to be done as the next step is ensuring that there are resources allocated towards different opportunities presented by the act.
“Through the act work has just began with advocacy, budget allocation as well as making sure the knowledge trickles down to every county, sub-county and villages “.
