The National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya (NFDK) has donated equipment and grants worth Sh3.5 million to support people with disability (PWDs) in the Nyanza region.
According to NFDK Chairperson Kristina Pratt, Sh3 million will benefit 17 learning institutions in the area, with individuals from Kisumu Central and Kisumu West receiving assorted tools and assistive devices worth Sh512,720.
Pratt said the items, among them wheelchairs, white canes, sewing machines, carpentry toolkits, and hairdressing equipment, demonstrate the fund's commitment to empowering PWDs in the area.
In a speech read on her behalf by NFDK board trustee Anne Mugambi during the issuance of the donations in Kisumu, she noted that PWDs continue to face barriers, be they socio-economic, physical, legal, health, or even political.
"Through provision of these resources and rehabilitative equipment, we ensure that they are not left behind," she added.
Additionally, the chairperson revealed that the fund has implemented 32 flagship projects worth Sh96 million in the region, all geared towards taking care of PWDs.
"The projects among them—classrooms, dormitories, dining halls, and Information Communication Technology (ICT) hubs— have gone a long way in making life easier for the beneficiaries."
Board Trustee Prof. Julia Ojiambo asked the beneficiaries to take good care of the equipment while directing various heads of the beneficiary learning institutions to ensure prudent expenditure of the funds for the benefit of PWDs.
Ojiambo noted that when PWDs are empowered with the right tools and support, they can become self-reliant and actively contribute to national development.
"You have not been given these tools and equipment so as to sell. Kindly make good use of them to empower your lives. This donation is part of our continued effort to break barriers and create inclusive communities," Prof. Ojiambo added.
Dr. Mike Kiswili, NFDK trustee, echoed her sentiments, noting that the donation was not merely an act of charity but a strategic investment in capacity building.
Nyanza Regional Commissioner (RC) Flora Mworoa lauded NFDK for taking a leading role in the empowerment of PWDs across the country.
Mworoa urged the beneficiaries to be ambassadors of the fund and spread the good to others.
She said the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) will continue to partner with the fund to reach more PWDs in the region.
