Improvement of living conditions of families with disabled children in Nairobi North slums

Background

"AFEMA” is an invented word, created from two Swahili words: AFYA which means health, and MAENDELEO that means development, and is the name of an association of women of the slums of Babadogo (Nairobi, Kenya). Some are single, some married, all are mothers of disabled children.

The women meet at the Acref teatre(African Cultural Research Foundation, an association based subsidiary of a World Friends)to share the problems of their children, economic difficulties, the stigma of people, their hopes, and help each other.

The project is based on two key aspects: improve the health of children with disabilities and  develop  economic activities of their families.
The approach taken to improve the business does not want to impose a drastic change, but build on existing realities, trying to bring small but steady improvement and, above all, sustainable in the long term

Main activities...

1.Training: course on management of commercial activities, course on management of group dynamics, tye & dye course, course on banano leaves artcrafts production

2.Microcredit

3.Group income-generating activities

4.Support to disabled children through physiotherapy, support to health expenses, support to
education fees