Picture of co-ordinator Agnes MusembiAdvantage Africa has been working in close partnership with Kibwezi Disabled Persons' Organisation (KDPO) since 2005. KDPO is a community based organisation staffed by a committed group of local people with three of the staff being disabled people themselves. The organisation was founded in 1999 through the inspiration of its Coordinator, Agnes Musembi, a remarkable woman who has devoted much of her life to supporting her fellow disabled people. Hear Agnes talk about KDPO in 2023.

Picture of the Disabled Persons OrganisationThe aim of the organisation is to work in practical ways to improve the living standards of children and adults with disabilities and to raise awareness of and lobby for their rights in all spheres of life.

 

 

The organisation currently has over 1,500 registered disabled beneficiaries, although KDPO believe there are many more people with disabilities in Kibwezi District who are not registered with any support services. In partnership with Advantage Africa, KDPO has successfully managed a number of projects including support to families in community based rehabilitation, the running of a workshop to make mobility aids and rehabilitation equipment, facilitating corrective surgery and provision of prosthetics where appropriate and the building of a special education unit at Kisayani Primary School. Advantage Africa has also helped KDPO grow and develop as an organisation. They are now regularly engaged in advocacy activities and are invited to contribute to national policy debates concerning the rights of persons with disabilities. They are securing money from the Kenyan Government and other national organisations to provide welfare payments and small loans to people with disabilities in Kibwezi District.