A Story of Resilience: Supporting Families Caring for Persons with Disabilities in Nairobi County

In a quiet neighborhood within Nairobi County, lives a remarkable woman whose story is a testament to resilience, compassion, and unwavering dedication. At 65 years, the mother of five adults (3 girls, one deceased and 2 boys) is not just a mother to her children but a pillar of strength to three adults with disabilities. 

Her journey has been long and challenging. After losing her husband in 1994  a loss attributed to stress and depression linked to the disabilities of their two sons, she took on the role of single mother and caregiver. Her two biological sons, both with mental disabilities, became the first beneficiaries of Disability Rights & Empowerment Trust (DRET) support program.

Grace’s (not her real name) compassion extended beyond her own family. When a close friend, a woman with  physical disability, passed away leaving behind two girls (twins, one with complex disabilities), she opened her heart despite her own financial and emotional struggles, took the two girls under her care, ensuring they had shelter, basic needs, and a sense of family.

The journey of her sons

The fourth-born son, who developed mental challenges after suffering cerebral malaria at the age of six, has managed to achieve some level of independence. He attended Mbangathi Primary's - Special Unit and later joined Joy Town Secondary School (a special school), and is able to take up short-term clerical contracts when his health is stable.

His elder brother, however, faces more severe mental challenges. Despite being born healthy, he experienced developmental difficulties early in life. Extensive treatment efforts were made with minimal change, the doctors eventually advised that his condition would only be managed through regular therapy  and medication. He requires 24-hour supervision due to occasional violent outbursts and a tendency to disappear from home. He was enrolled to Jacaranda Special school where he was for 3 years. During one incident, he went missing for several weeks and was later found in another part of the city where he had experienced sexual and physical violations including circumcision; a painful reminder of the vulnerabilities that persons with disabilities (PWDs) often face.

Through DRET, the two sons were supported to acquire the level of education to their abilities and registered with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), a state corporation in charge of Disability matters in Kenya. The family receives facilitation for annual Social Health Insurance to enable the elder son receive regular medication and therapy.

The journey of the orphaned twins

The younger of the twins was born with multiple (physical and mental) disabilities, due to limited resources, she had never received formal education or rehabilitation services. After their mother passed away in 2018, her older twin sister still a minor, dropped out of school to care for her. She did odd jobs to care for her sister. In the course of this, she met someone and started a relationship that ended up with a child. She was abandoned with the baby when the man realized she was a minor and he had actually been defiling her. Back home, the situation became worse, she then reached out to her mother’s friend who begun to support the now family of three children. One afternoon when the girl and her son were away, a perpetrator broke into the house where the girl with disability was locked in and defiled her. This caught the attention of the organization, which took the necessary steps to ensure she got medical attention, she was admitted at The Nairobi Women’s Hospital a GBV Centre for close to three months.

Realizing the possible risks the girls faced, Grace was advised to take them into her house as the organization sought the best way to support the family. Understanding the risks of raising teenage girls in a household with adult males with disability, there was concern having witnessed defilement in both cases that needed a long-term solution; separate houses  nearby for the girls to ensure their safety and dignity. The family was supported to acquired two decent housing within the slum upgrading program by the government at the time in an estate set-up away from the vulnerable informal settlement. The two interconnected families had finally secured decent housing.

Grace was empowered through entrepreneurship, supported to start a small peanut butter business whose marketing and distribution is assisted by the organization. She also secured an office assistant opportunity from a civil society organization despite her being above retirement age, through a referral by the organization. This was to help give indirect support to her family. The younger son was also assisted in setting up a business enterprise to help him Access Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) tenders dedicated to PWDs. The older son was enrolled in the social protection’s Cash Transfer Program for persons with severe disabilities that provides a monthly stipend of Kes. 2,000 to support his medical need.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the family was among the 100 families who received weekly food and sanitary support from the organization, a timely lifeline during a difficult period.

In 2023, a tragedy struck the family, the sole caregiver Grace was diagnosed with Terminal Illness. This shifted the focus toward ensuring she received treatment and continued to support her family. She underwent the necessary treatment through fundraising support from friends and is doing fine. In 2024, one of the twins (now adults) secured employment opportunity with a company and secured a house near her work place. She then requested to take her sister and son with her in January 2025 and are currently living independently in a different part of the city.

From time to time the family receives support from friends of DRET for clothing, food and mediation. Through DRET's support over the years, two family members accessed education opportunities, three obtained disability registration, one caregiver established a small business, and the family secured safer housing and health coverage.

Today, the family continues to face challenges, but their situation has improved significantly through sustained support, community solidarity, and their own resilience. Their journey demonstrates that when families caring for persons with disabilities receive appropriate support, they can move from vulnerability toward dignity, inclusion, and hope. The Organization remains committed to a just and inclusive society where no person with disability is left behind.