Disability is not Inability

::What ails disabled persons orgaisations.
17th November 2006

The capacity of our organization as the disability sector determines a lot our development status within the economy and society. The disabled community needs to improve its organizations if we are to push the disability agenda forward. For the last decade the status of organizations for and of disabled persons has been at best wanting. Many umbrella organization and individual membership organization have not proven the organization test.

Does it originates from kenya's organisation culture.

I posed this question to one of the deaf leaders. It may be true but he said we may be over emphasizing the issue. "Much of the trouble emanates from the general society" he said. Look at the wrangles in Maendeleo Ya wanawake, NGO council, Political parties, are they anybetter"? he posed. Many organization do not hold elections. They depend on the big man syndrome, have no effective constitution, do not adhere to wishes of the membership. The disability sector is equally the same. from UDPK, KNAD, KNDAEP to KUB, Many have so serious problems that only a handful can hold enough structures to run the basics like an office.

PWD organisations in Kenya face alot of challenges in organising cordial meetings to solve organisational disputes. In many cases the constitution is not a reliable guide to help build consensus way forward. quite a number of projects are boggled by such issues leading to secretive officials and management of affiars. This is also common in the general public.

United disabled people of Kenya, the umbrella body all the way to individual disability organizations no one not even one is free from trouble. We searched and inked a lot of the trouble to donor organization conditionalities. Lack of rule of law within the DPOs. Finally competition caused by low employment opportunities.

NO scalable or transferable capacity

The Swedish support of the KNAD for over 10 years has not achieved any scalable or transferable capacity to assist the integration of the Deaf into mainstream development efforts. KNAD does not show structural management capacity enviable within the disability community. Though their support for the deaf community can be hailed for the many grassroots deaf organizations established. They have therefore been instrumental in community mobilization of the deaf from various rural and slum areas, through its wide branch network; have been effective in giving hope to many deaf people; and have participated in mainstreaming deafness in national agenda. Kenya Society for Deaf Children is even more in critical condition.

KSDC working with government for many years has not delivered anything but been a cash cow of many in leadership. The last Chief executive left in a huff and without achieving much and currently the Board is still fighting within itself while many deaf children and schools wallow in illitracy and despair even in the era of free education. What has Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) achieved even as it celebrated its whatever Annversary recently in the last quater of 2006? Was there anything to celebrate with nothing to show four years in to free education?

The KUB of the blind/ and APDK physically challenged are better of in relative development efforts. Yet they are more clubs of the rich disabled people than working out anything targeting grassroot members and organisations. KUB for example has an effective branch network but has not used the network to improve opportunities for the blind persons at the grassroots. KNDAEP is equally unable to put itself together to sustainably organise its activities. Wrangles and misunderstandings among the leadership is the main cause behind the pulling back of the strong Deaf AIDS programme initiated a five years ago.

UDPK is a membership organisation

UDPK a membership organization of various DPOs is yet to really play its role as an umbrella body. UDPK lack the structural or management capacity or continuity funding in areas that can help improve membership organizations. This leaves it doing what its member organizations do and competing for resources thus weakening its relevance. Capacity building and integration issues into national social services, Advocacy and resource mobilization for membership organizations skills should be improved at the UDPK. The last elections was mired with alot of battles. The resultant board was powerlessly in the hands of a chief executive who was a problem.


The Strategic partnerships are not symbiotic.

one of the strongest ways to build the capacity of DPOs is through strategic partnerships with local and international NGOs. However the inability to build partnership frameworks that are mutually beneficial is the root cause of the many challenges. The community mobilisation capability of the DPOs and the external resource mobilisation, technical skills of the NGOs are not meshed in an effective framework. This is the bone of contention in unique partnerships like the KNDAEP & Liverpool VCT, or Dandora Deaf Self Help group and Handicap International. Many NGOs take it that they controll the main stake and want to control everything without transfering capacity to Community organisations.


New regulator under a new law.

NCPWDs is a young player implementing the disability Act funded by the government as a department of the Ministry of Sports C & SS. Has no grassroots representation and is just rolling out its strategic plans for 2006 – 2010. It is still young, under-funded but with a Herculean mandate with interesting ramifications in the disability sector. The funding of only 6 million in the period 2006/7 is grossly inadequate. Critics say it should be moved to a more serious ministry like Office of the President if truly the government is serious with disability issues, as in South Africa. They say disability issues as the national policy indicates transcends all ministries which requires an authority with clout to push the issues in all policy matters within government. This is lacking at ministry of culture, gender, sports and social services. The NCPWD is responsible for registration of DPOs according to the new Disability ACT.

More and better training and capacity building programmes

We expect to see new leadership in terms of better management training programs, improved monitoring and supervision, and better reporting structures.

The situation is dire in organizations for PWDs with communication disabilities like the deaf and the blind. The blind are lucky to have developed its umbrella organisation to a relatively advanced level. Yet the deaf are especially lagging behind mainly due to education challenges and lack of projects ready to give training opportunities adopted in sign language.

Donor organizations should also chip in by integrating all support projects with a training and capacity building component. Experience with organizations and projects with a large training and capacity building component show not only that the disability barriers can be overcome but the success is more guaranteed.

disabilitykenya.
updated: 10th December 2006.

Category: Business

<< Back to business | Back to Disability Kenya >>