Motorists
and
passengers
were on Saturday
caught up
in a
traffic snarl up between Mlolongo and Kyumbi towns along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.
The heavy traffic was caused by hundreds of participants who turned up for the Cerebral Palsy Awareness Walk 2018.
The walk was organized by Doors of Hope NGO to mark the World Cerebral Palsy Day celebrated on October 6.
They included provincial administrators, school going children, cooperate community, hospitals representatives and local companies.
The participants were from Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Makueni, Kitui and Kiambu.
Doors of Hope NGOs programs director Jacqueline Shibalira said the exercise was meant to create awareness on Cerebral Palsy in a bid to fight myths and misconceptions on the condition.
“After our sensitization exercise since last year, we have managed to bring out children locked up in houses. Most of the parents who had hidden their children are now happy, they have participated in the walk in support of the sensitization
program,” said Andalo.
They walked 10 Kilometers from the NGO’s offices along the Namanga Road to Mavoko Stadium in Athi River through the Mombasa Road.
Athi River police led by traffic base commander Moses Kimeli helped in controlling the traffic during the walk.
Shibalira said the NGO had established a centre for the children living with the condition to offer therapies, nutrition, counselling, education services among other support programs both to the children and their parents/guardians.
She said the centre has 130 children.
“I want to tell parents that those children they lock in houses thinking they do not have potential, they have great potential. They can reach their highest potentials,” added she.
She said those discriminating against children living with Cerebral Palsy should know that they are children just like others.
“This walk is meant to sensitize the community so that people know that these are children like others, no child should be left behind,” said Shibalira.
Shibalira said Doors of Hope trains children living with the condition on life skills to make them self-independent when they become of age.
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