The Disability Service Programme (Kenya)
The
Disability Service Programme is a non-profit community
based organization initiated to offer services to disabled
people in the Southern Nyanza region of Kenya.
The Disability Service Programme (DSP) seeks to provide
care and rehabilitation services for people living with
disabilities (estimated to number in excess of 120 000)
Nyanza Province Kenya. With the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the
number of disabled individuals is expected to rise. The DSP
is a locally run, community-based organization that faces
many challenges as human and financial resources that were
once available are now receding.
Disability Service Programme Staff
Mr. Carilus
Okidi is a highly respected professional and
leader in the physiotherapy community in Kenya. Born
and raised in the village of Kochia, close to Homa
Bay, Mr. Okidi truly appreciates rural health practice
and the challenges that come with it. He has dedicated
over 30 years to improving the lives of people with
disabilities in his community through various projects
in the realms of education, health, and community
development. Following completion of a Diploma in
Physiotherapy at Nairobi University in 1980, Mr. Okidi
promptly found work in his home province to be close
to his parents and help support his many younger
siblings.
Mr. Okidi’s list of professional achievements is lengthy,
and he continues to build upon them. In 1987, Mr. Okidi
received an Advanced Diploma in Orthopaedics and Sports
Injuries from Kenya Medical Training College and Nairobi
University after volunteering as an athletic therapist
during the All African Games in Kenya. He went on to obtain
certificates in counselling and guidance, home-based care
and orthopaedic management throughout the 1990s. Following
a visit to McMaster University in 2005, he was named as an
affiliate holder of a Masters of Rehabilitation Science
certificate.
His clinical experience is impressive with attachments in
Kisii District Hospital (1980-1993), the Catholic Diocese
of Kisii/Homa Bay (1994-2006), and most recently the
Disability Service Programme (DSP) in Opapo, Kenya. Since
2007, he has been the acting chair of the Kenya Association
of Physiotherapists in the Nyanza province. Outside of
physiotherapy, Mr. Okidi has been actively advocating
advancement of the level of Kenyan education. He founded
Capeview school, which is located outside of Homa Bay in
1999 and acted as the chairman for the School for the Deaf
in Nyangweso from 1997-2010.
One of Mr. Okidi’s strengths is his innovative nature. He
is working toward making the DSP self-sustainable through
implementation of cost-sharing for physiotherapy services
and orthopaedic equipment for patients. Further, he
continues to champion the rights of the most vulnerable
members of his community, especially people with
disabilities, persons living with HIV/AIDS, impoverished
persons, and the elderly. He has and will continue to be an
excellent role model for young physiotherapists, as he has
supervised and/or collaborated with and hosted over 70
students from Europe and Canada. He has also been the
keynote speaker at various international conferences,
speaking on topics related to HIV/AIDS in the context of
rehabilitation as well as gender in an African context. In
the future, Mr. Okidi plans to expand the DSP and create
partnerships with additional organizations to enhance the
physiotherapy services provided to his community.
Florence Omoroh
is a physiotherapist from Kakamega, Kenya, and she
brings a wealth of knowledge and 19 years of
experience to the DSP. She obtained a Diploma in
Physiotherapy from Kenya Medical Training College in
Nairobi in 1991. Her clinical work has included
extensive work in paediatric and medical PT. Florence
is an established physiotherapist at the Homa Bay
Hospital in the in- and out-patient programs as well
as community-based rehabilitation. She has also worked
in a school for children with disabilities between the
ages of 2 and 18 years in Kendu Bay. One of Florence’s
strengths is her in-depth understanding of the role of
traditional medicine in the Western Nyanza province
and she has worked diligently with community members
to provide education on the necessity of early medical
intervention. Her passion is community-based care and
she has served the Homa Bay District community for
many years. She would like to expand her role in the
near future to tackle larger issues involving poverty
and education. Florence is a strong role model for all
community members and she is highly regarded not only
among Kenyan physiotherapists, but also in the
community health sector.
is a young, energetic Kenyan citizen from Kochia
village in Homa Bay District, Kenya, and has been
working with the DSP as a physiotherapist since 2009.
He recently received his Diploma in Physiotherapy at
the Kenya Medical Training College in 2009. His
previous clinical experiences include working with
people with disabilities during mobile clinics and
home visits. Further, he has practiced physiotherapy
at Kenyatta National Hospital, and in his short
career, he has developed a special interest in
geriatric care and community-based rehabilitation. Ken
enjoys working with the disabled community and takes
his time to bring hope to all of his patients. For
this reason, he opted to dedicate a short time to
volunteer with the Association of Physically Disabled
of Kenya (APDK) at Rongo District Hospital and
undertake community outreach through this organization
for awareness creation to minimize the susceptibility
to disability and to mobilize patients to come
together to share their challenges. Ken’s caring
demeanor and sense of social responsibility make him a
strong asset to the DSP team. In the future, Ken
aspires to become a well-established PT and obtain a
MScPT and a PhD in physical medicine.
In 2009,
Pauline
Njoge began working with the DSP as the cook
and custodian. She completed secondary schooling in
Eldoret, not far from her hometown, Nyakach. Not only
does Pauline keep the DSP clean and tidy and ensure
that the DSP staff are well fed, but she also fills in
as the secretary when the administrative staff are out
of the office. She hopes to continue to serve those
with disabilities in the community by taking on a
greater role within the DSP in the near future.
Additionally, she wishes to acquire further education
in business and informational technology and open her
own business one day.
Alex Okambo is
from the village of Kabuoch in the province of Nyanza
in Kenya. He completed his secondary school education
in 1982 and has since worked in community health with
non-governmental organizations such as Care Kenya and
Adventists Development Relief Agency. His roles within
these organizations have involved work in home-based
care for people with HIV/AIDS and various other
positions in the social work field. He started working
for the DSP in 2006 when he took on the role of
secretary. In his spare time, he volunteers for
Christian Mission Aid writing community reports. His
main future goal involves enlarging his farm to enable
all of his children to complete their schooling.
Thomas Okongo
joined the DSP team in 2005 as a secretary. He has
since become a Social Worker for the programme, acting
to mobilize clients to acquire DSP services, tracking
clients post-surgery or post-treatment and
coordinating community outreach clinics and home
visits. Thomas is originally from Ranen, Kenya, in the
Nyanza province. His background in community-based
rehabilitation is impressive, as he worked with the
Peace Corps in the public health sector prior to his
employment with the DSP. An area of specialization for
Thomas is working with individuals with HIV/AIDS and
educating these clients about voluntary counseling and
testing (VCT). Thomas is able to directly relate to
clients with disabilities, as he was affected by polio
at the age of four years, and has since participated
in physical rehabilitation to overcome his own
disability. Working with people with disabilities is a
passion for Thomas and in the future he wishes to
enhance his knowledge by obtaining a Bachelor’s degree
in Social Work and undergo training to enhance his
ability to communicate with all clients through
special education training to learn sign language.
Originally from Kisumu,
Jared Ongoro is a talented Orthotic
Technician who does contract work for the DSP. He has
overcome many obstacles in his life thus far, having
suffered bilateral paralysis of his legs at a young
age as a result of polio. He was sponsored by the
Italian organization, Wellwishes, in 2003 that sent
him to Kitere for vocational training in orthotic
engineering. His skill set includes creating all types
of canes and crutches, calipers (leg braces), wheel
chairs and shoe lifts. Essentially, he is the go-to
man when DSP clients need gait aids. Jared aspires to
one day expand his business, Jonac Footwear, into a
large workshop. He has a strong desire to help people
with disabilities and encourages them not to give up
because “
disability is not ability, and nor is it
the end of life, but simply the beginning.”
University of Toronto (Canada)
Through the office
of the
International Centre for Disability and
Rehabilitation in conjunction with the
Centre for International Health at the
University of Toronto, the Kenya Working Group has
taken shape. The ICDR and CIH make available to the
KWG human resources and academic partnerships.
McMaster University (Canada)
The faculty of
Rehabilitation Sciences at McMaster University requires
students to complete a minimum number of clinical
placements in order for students to be considered
proficient in their area of study and chosen profession. An
opportunity for international placement exists in the final
unit of study. It is here that McMaster University is
involved with the Kenya working group. Occupational Therapy
and Physiotherapy students (who fit within the University
requirements to undertake an international placement) will
be offered the opportunity to finish their final clinical
placement within the KWG exchange programme. The KWG works
with faculty and students at McMaster University as well as
our partners in Kenya to foster a safe environment in which
both the student’s learning objectives as well as community
needs of the host programme are met.
