Children with Disability Conference in Kenya
In April, Chief Executive Fiona Dowling headed to Kenya to attend the Children with Disabilities: A Holistic Approach towards Care, Inclusion and Empowerment conference. This event was hosted by Misean Cara and the purpose was to present the findings and learnings from their three-year Children with Disabilities (CWD) programme. The conference included speakers and panelists from their funding partner, the GHR Foundation, along with Irish Aid and the Irish Embassy, disability NGOs and Catholic Care for Children. Representatives from project teams of five Misean Cara member organisations from Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and South Africa that participated in the CWD programme over the last three years also participated in the conference.
Edmund Rice Centre Nairobi (ERCN) received a grant through this programme to pilot a project in 2026 to strengthen their therapy services to support inclusive learning. ERCN supports 80 learners with physical and intellectual disabilities from the nearby Kibera informal settlement. The funding supported the purchase of specialised therapy equipment and aids, an orthopaedic review clinic and caregiver training in home-based therapy.
ERCN’s director Sammy Muga attended the conference, along with Esther Ndungu, Project Coordinator and Daddeus Araka, Physiotherapist. The ERCN team, students and parents hosted a visit of 50 conference participants to ERCN! The guests received a warm welcome and were absolutely inspired by the work of ERCN in Kibera.
