The Carer’s Fund Programme of the Kenya Society for the Mentally Handicapped (KSMH) aims at creating the Carers Fund in support of children and adults with intellectual disabilities in Kenya.

The programme will ensure access to support needed in the exercise of legal capacities by children and adults with intellectual disabilities. This will help those persons with intellectual disabilities who are hidden, neglected and abused for lack of carers, meant to look after them when their mothers go to work. The fund will also provide carers support in aid of adults with intellectual disabilities, who are neglected, abused and exposed to all manner of risks due to their elderly parent’s inability to look after them.

To mobilize support for the Carers Fund from members of the public, development partners and corporates, KSMH has received the commitment of the media, who have agreed to fully support the initiative.

At the time of implementation, the Carers Programme will support 1,600 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, spread equally with 200 beneficiaries in each of the 8 provinces. The past successful methods of intervention by KSMH has laid down basic support for the family at Kshs. 4,500/. This is distributed at Kshs. 3,000/ for the monthly salary of the Carer, and Kshs. 1,500/ for essential foods and detergents. The fund will be managed by the National leadership of KSMH in transparent and accountable manner. The trustees Rtd. Arch Ndingi Mwana A’ Nzeki; Shree Muljibhai Pindolia; Prof. EL-Busaid; and the Goodwill Ambassador Hon. Zipporah Kittony will be fund managers.

In Kenya, persons with intellectual disabilities are left out, whenever support for persons with disabilities is provided. A good example is the recent budget allocation to the disabled, where only those participating in business will benefit. Those with intellectual disabilities cannot run businesses and will therefore not qualify as beneficiaries. In situations of vocational workshops, their output fails to make enough income as required in business. The situation is even worse when we look at the provisions of the Disability Act where those exempted from duty are only those with physical disabilities. In fact, the Disability Act is so particular that vehicles imported duty free must be modified for use by a person with physical disabilities. The reality of the life time need for support by children and adults with intellectual disabilities has been ignored for a long time, resulting to gross violation of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The Government of Kenya ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on 19th March 2008. This obliges the Government to provide support needed in the exercise of legal capacities by children and adults with more significant disabilities. It is also now, Government obligation to ensure access to adequate standard of living and guaranteed social protection for children and adults in need of more intensive support due to mental disabilities. To deliver on these key provisions of the Convention, Article 33 requires the Government to fully engage persons with disabilities and their organizations in the National implementation and monitoring of the Convention and its Optional Protocol.

To realize the Convention in Kenya, KSMH has requested the Government, the media, private sector and International Corporation; to partner with persons with intellectual disabilities in the Carers Programme that will be sustained through the creation of a Carers Fund. The fund aims at using its annual income to provide sustainable Carers Support to children and adults with intellectual disabilities in the country. This programme is central to ending the gross violation of human rights experienced by children and adults with intellectual disabilities at the family level. It will enable the Government realize key provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

(The Right to support needed by 3.6 million persons with intellectual disabilities in Kenya, is ignored leading to gross violation of human rights. Join us in making a difference!)

Carer’s Fund Families

To date KSMH has identified 6 families which are being supported by the Carer’s Fund, with a family from Nairobi, Eastern Province, Western Province, Nyanza and two families from Central Province.

These families are often dependent on the sole income of the mother, who relies on casual labour. Even if the mother can find work, the family will generally have to survive on KShs.600/- a week. The situation is complicated further by the need for someone to remain at home with the disabled person, which frequently results in siblings missing school to care for them, thus jeopardizing their education.

The families tend to reside in a 1 roomed house and are fortunate if they have 1 bed and a paltry blanket to share between 5 or more people. Many of the persons with disabilities are unable to walk, suffer from incontinence, and cannot even feed themselves. They are left in these inhumane conditions all day, with no hope for the future. The Carer’s Fund gives hope not only to those with intellectual disabilities, but also to their families and mothers who spend each day agonizing over how will they care and provide for their children.

Registration occurs at the KSMH offices and costs KShs 70/-. Registered Persons with Intellectual Disability (PWIDs) will then be called for an appointment for assessment by a mental health specialist. There are around 700 PWIDs registered so far for enrolment into the Carer’s Fund Programme. Appointments are made based on the PWIDs registration number in the Registration Ledger, and thus there is a huge waiting list for assessments. This assessment will provide an in-depth profile of the PWID’s mental capacities and enable KSMH to determine the most appropriate course of action.