Bishop of the ACK Diocese of Kitale, Dr. Emmanuel Chemengich/BOURNAVENTURE M'MAITSI.
Across Kenya, faith-based organisations have long played a role in bridging gaps in healthcare and social inclusion, especially for people living with disabilities.
In regions where stigma and limited access to specialised care persist, churches have become channels for creating awareness and rehabilitation hubs.
In the Rift Valley, Bishop Alexander Kipsang Muge, who was the then Bishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Diocese of Eldoret, founded Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) in 1985 to support people with disabilities.
Years later, in 1997, ACK Kitale identified a similar gap within its congregation and the community at large. According to Evelyne Telo, the Coordinator of the CBR project under the ACK Diocese of Kitale, people living with disabilities were many, yet were being left without access to essential support.
This discovery followed a survey initiated to understand the status of the people the church was serving, which turned into the foundation for a transformative programme aimed at restoring dignity and inclusion.
“During the exercise, we discovered that some people had been ignored by their family members and the community due to their disabilities. Hence, the need to serve them arose,” Telo said.
The CBR project was then launched to provide support by sensitising families and communities while helping individuals with disabilities reach their full potential through rehabilitation.
“We started offering services through sensitising their family members and the community at large. Our main aim is to enable them to reach their full potential through rehabilitation,” Telo said.
Evelyne Telo, the Coordinator of the CBR project under the ACK Diocese of Kitale/ CHRISTABEL ADHIAMBO.
Since its establishment, the project has expanded its reach to all Trans Nzoia, Marakwet, West Pokot, North Pokot, Mt Elgon, Turkana, and Bungoma.
Currently, the programme supports over a thousand clients with neurological conditions and others with different forms of disabilities such as physical handicaps, intellectual disability, visual impairment, and cleft lip & palate.
“In collaboration with AIC Kijabe Hospital, we offer free clinics yearly to bring the face of God to humanity and to prove to the world that disability is not inability,” Evelyne said.
The programme also carries out fieldwork, community sensitisation, and advocacy campaigns to reduce stigma and encourage acceptance.
Telo listed the activities include identifying people with disabilities, grouping them according to their specific needs, organising workshops, and arranging clinics and referrals at diocesan and community levels.
The project further provides home rehabilitation packages and follow-up visits to ensure that every beneficiary continues living a transformed life.
“We reach people with disabilities in the community through church leaders and local administration officials who help identify and sensitise people living with disabilities,” Telo explained.
She added that CBR workers conduct personal visits and advocacy sessions through seminars, clinic posters, audiovisual materials, and church gatherings.
How ACK, Kitale , helped Stienei get support for her child living with SBH
Joyce Stienei, a member of the Anglican Church of Kenya Diocese of Kitale, has a two-year-old child with hydrocephalus. She shared the challenges she encountered after learning that her child had the condition at just six months old.
Her face frowned as she travelled back to those days’ memories. Stienei said her family, friends, and neighbours discriminated against her.
She admits that she stays at home most of the time and only leaves when going for medical check-ups or going to church on Sunday.
“When people saw my child’s head growing big, they all stopped visiting me, talking to me. My other children were not allowed to play with other kids, and people started to stare down on me, thinking my kids’ condition was a result of witchcraft, taboo, or even a curse,” she shared.
Her husband almost left her, blaming the condition on her family’s genetics. She was forced to stop working as the child’s needs became a full-time responsibility.
She added that the discrimination extended beyond her friends and family. After being forced to stop working because of her child’s condition, the family’s needs continued to grow.
When she tried looking for a job while bringing her child, whom she couldn’t leave at home, no one was willing to employ her, saying she would bring bad luck to the workplace.
Currently, Stienei is grateful as she found a new family at ACK Kitale, who had prior knowledge of the condition, embraced her, and helped her get the necessary assistance.
“I got a family who welcomed me and have been supporting me since then. My husband, too, has been very supportive, and other caregivers who have been sharing their experiences,” she expressed.
She says that at ACK Kitale, they hold small meetings that train caregivers and advocate for the well-being of people living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, among other conditions and disabilities.
Her child underwent treatment at BethanyKids Kijabe, where he had an Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy with Choroid Plexus Cauterization (ETV/CPC) surgery, and now the swelling of the head has stopped and the condition has stabilised.
However, Stienei still worries about her child, who is already two years old yet unable to sit down.
“My child is still unable to sit down despite having the therapy sessions and medical check-ups, which at times we are forced to miss because of a lack of fare, as the hospital is quite far from where I live,” she said.
She further called on the community to embrace everyone equally and offer support where possible, as caring for individuals with SBH comes with a lot of responsibilities.
For caregivers and parents of children with SBH, she urged them not to hide them at home as it worsens the condition, but to speak up without fear and seek the necessary help.
Faith in action as ACK, Kitale champions for the well-being of people with disability
Bishop of the ACK Diocese of Kitale, Dr. Emmanuel Chemengich, said the church’s main goal is to continue to raise awareness about disabilities like SBH while strengthening community understanding and support for those affected.
“Our work is to create awareness about SBH and knowledge to the community, encourage caregivers to continue supporting individuals living with SBH, and teach the community about their role in supporting people with SBH,” Chemengich said.
He noted that the church also connects affected families with specialised personnel and organisations to ensure they receive the best possible care.
However, the bishop acknowledged that several challenges continue to hinder progress.
Despite the collaborations with other organisations to import wheelchairs, he admitted they remain costly due to the tax levied, yet are important for mobility and access.
He also pointed to the need for stronger government support to implement policies that support people living with SBH, particularly in acquiring wheelchairs and ensuring smooth access to public and private offices.
Additionally, he highlighted the high costs of maintaining care for people with disabilities, especially those requiring regular treatment or daily essentials like diapers, urging everyone to play a role in supporting them.
“At my home, I have ramps that ensure everyone can visit and access my home, and I wish this could happen in every public and private office,” he explained, adding that such accessibility gives people with disabilities a sense of belonging.
He also requested churches to consider people with disability even when constructing the churches and also, not look at them as people who need prayer miracles, but rather accept and support them fully as members of faith.
“I ask all churches to ensure people with disabilities can access the altar on their own like other Christians,” he said.
Chemengich condemned discrimination and negligence towards people with disabilities. He urged communities to report any case of a child with disability who has been hidden at home and deprived of exposure.
He also called on caregivers who might not have access to information to seek help through available networks, as speaking out is the first step to getting support.
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