Action Foundation Unveils Massive DIECD Project, Targets 1.3 Million Young Children with Disabilities and their Caregivers
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 11 – The Action Foundation (TAF), in collaboration with national and county governments, has launched the Disability-Inclusive Early Childhood Development (DIECD) project in Nairobi targeting more than 1.3 million young children with disabilities aged 0 to 8 years together with their caregivers so as to access the health, nutrition, education and protection services they deserve.
Disability-Inclusive Early Childhood Development (DIECD) project running from 2025 to 2030 is being rolled out in seven counties; Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Murang’a, Siaya, Kilifi and Samburu.
For decades, children with disabilities have been left behind with many struggling to access care, attend school or take part in activities other children enjoy, DIECD project seeks to change this reality by making inclusion a permanent part of Kenya’s early childhood systems.
The six-year initiative will strengthen rehabilitation and health services, promote play-based learning and nutrition, train teachers to work inclusively, empower caregivers and support county governments to plan and budget for disability-inclusive services.
Ms. Maria Omare, Founder and Executive Director of The Action Foundation noted that The Disability-Inclusive Early Childhood Development project represents a bold step toward transforming how Kenya supports children with disabilities.
“For too long, these children and their families have faced barriers to health care, education, nutrition and protection through this initiative, we aim to reach 1.3 million children with disabilities aged 0 to 8 years with quality inclusive services, Our goal is to embed disability inclusion into Kenya’s early childhood systems, so that every child, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to thrive”, stated Ms Omare.
“We are starting with seven counties, but we have 47 we still have a long way to go Every action we take brings us closer to a Kenya where no child is invisible, no caregiver unsupported and every life truly counts.”
She further noted that by 2030, the project hopes to see half of all children with disabilities enrolled in therapy programs and four out of five canding child wellness clinics and more children to learn in inclusive classrooms, more caregivers to gain economic independence and the establishment of a live national database to track the needs and progress of children with disabilities.
Dr. Patrick Amoth, Director General for Health, Ministry of Health in his speech delivered in absentia welcomed the collaboration reaffirming government’s support highlighting that Children with disabilities often face significant barriers when accessing essential health and developmental services the Ministry of Health is committed to changing this by integrating rehabilitation and assistive technologies into the national health system.
“Through initiatives such as the Rehabilitative Services and Assistive Technology Strategy (2022-2026) and the Disability Assessment and Categorisation Guidelines, we aim to ensure that rehabilitation becomes a core part of universal health coverage Partnerships like this one with The Action Foundation are key to building a more inclusive, equitable and accessible health system for every child in Kenya”, He said.
Mr. Stephen IKonya, Director of Programs at The Action Foundation (TAF) said Children with disabilities face various challenges which includes lack access to health services, inclusive health services, lack access to inclusive education, social protection programs are not there for them TAF with the government through Ministry of health decided to bring all the policies together and see what would work for them which gave birth to the Disability Inclusive ECD Strategy.
“We are working with the seven counties represented here and hope to scale up the project in all the 47 counties in Kenya to reach 1.3 million children with disabilities and the same number of caregivers with inclusive health, inclusive education, supporting the caregivers with capacity building and working with the national government to design training curriculums on inclusive education and also the training curriculums for healthcare workers where we are missing out on so many children with disabilities”, He said.
Mr. Ikonya added that they aim to address the gap on early identification and support parents who have children with disabilities.
“We aim to make parents not to feel stigmatized and guilty to have a child with disabilities but rather when you realize you have a child with disabilities you accept the child, We support the parents to accept the child and also take the child to the health facilities for support”.
A mother from Mukuru informal settlement in Nairobi County and caregiver to a six-year-old boy with cerebral palsy noted that for years she has struggled to find therapy for her son as the nearest facility was far and most schools could not take him in forcing her to stop working to care of him.
“When support like this reaches mothers like me, it changes everything It means my child can get therapy close to home and I can learn how to support his growth while also rebuilding my own life initiatives like this give me and other caregivers hope that our children will not be forgotten”, She said.
“We must ask ourselves what will success look like at the end of our first year? How do we make inclusion part of everyday systems, not just a project outcome?”, Ms Omare Posed.
She stressed that investing in children with disabilities is not charity but a smart national investment.
“Excluding children with disabilities is not only a social injustice, It is an economic and moral failure that costs nations potential and progress every dollar and policy invested in inclusion yields lifelong returns”.
