The very high stigma attached to intellectual disability make parents of intellectually disabled children hide them and lock them up. Uninformed parents also resort to mistreatment of children to various degrees of severity. Some parents lock the intellectually disabled children in the most unlikely places such as cattle pen, chicken pen etc.

The neglect of these children is so profound that very often, the children lose their humanity. KSMH receives reports of such cases through its help lines on regular basis. One of the most important work that KSMH does is the rescue of persons with intellectual disabilities. The severe cases are rescued, given treatment and rehabilitated. Their parents, caregivers and the community around them are educated on the rights of the intellectually disabled eventually leading to better treatment and care of the rescued PWID.

Case 1
Ongata Rongai, Nairobi, Kenya – The PWID featured here is an adult male. His mother had neglected and abandoned him. She left him with his grandmother. The grandmother is elderly and not able to look after him.

The person featured with the PWID is a KSMH volunteer working in that area, and through the help and support of KSMH, the PWID was supported for one year with funding from Ford Foundation. The support provided consisted of training a Carer, as well as the PWID’s grandmother on how to care for the PWID. The Carer and the PWId’s grandmother were educated and sensitized on issues on intellectual disability and the PWID’s Right to Care, Life, and Dignity.

Case 2

 This PWID was living with dogs in their kennel. The PWID comes from a wealthy family, however, the family was in denial about his intellectual disability and kept him hidden and locked away.

When the case was reported to KSMH, we went in to rescue him, and sensitized the parents to understand his disability and that he has rights just like everyone else. He was then removed from the kennel and kept in a room in the house.

Although he is now treated better, he is still isolated, and not included within the family unit. KSMH is still working towards having the family include the PWID completely into the family home.

Case 3
This PWID was born in a family of 5 other PWIDs. Their mother is also a PWID. The mother and her 6 children all have autism and live with the maternal grandmother. This situation placed a huge burden on the grandmother who is elderly and has to look after her daughter as well as her 6 grandchildren. There is suspicion that all 6 children were conceived due to incest in the home.

Due to the grandmother’s age and lack of sufficient resources, she neglected all the PWIDs. One day, while attending a burial ceremony, the PWID featured in the photo got lost. The case was reported to the Local Area Authorities, and the PWID was classed as missing. He was later discovered living in a cave, and surviving on a diet of small birds and animals, rubbish, and other waste materials.

KSMH rescues the PWID and placed him in rehabilitation centre. When KSMH intervened on the case, this PWID had not Speech and Language skills, but after the rehabilitation process, he has now fully acquired speech. KSMH is still working towards placing the PWID back into the family home, and to sensitise and educate the grandmother on issues of intellectual disability and all PWID’s Rights to Care, Life, and Dignity.

Case 4
Kiserian, Nairobi, Kenya – The PWID featured was tied, chained, and locked-up for 35 years. Due to this, he developed muscular atrophy, and even to this day he cannot walk. The father of the PWID is a diabetic and could only afford to buy diabetes medication, and not any other medication to support the PWID.

When KSMH learnt about the case, the PWID was placed in a rehabilitation centre and although he cannot walk, he has learnt independent living and self-care skills.

Photo 5

This PWID was kept in a small shack with goats. His family was in denial about the PWID’s intellectual disability and to avoid stigma from the community, they built a shack for the PWID, and kept him there with goats. He was kept on a bed without a mattress, as the family didn’t want the PWID to soil a mattress due to lack of bladder control.

KSMH intervened on the case and talked to the family. The family was sensitised and educated on issues of intellectual disability and PWID’s Rights to Care, Life, and Dignity. KSMH supported the PWID and the family for one year, and provided the PWID with medications, and convinced the family to place the PWID in a proper room within the house. The PWID now has a bed with a mattress to sleep on, and is cared for sufficiently by the family.