Kennedy’s Powerful voice beyond disability
Summary
“Before I lost my parents, they narrated to me how I lost my sight due to measles infection, at the age of 2 years. This happened because they did not have the money to take me to the hospital for proper treatment since my eyes were to be operated on, as a result, it got worse and that is how I lost my sight and have never seen anything up to date”, Ochieng narrated.
In a world often clouded by challenges, Kennedy Ochieng Gumba stands as a beacon of resilience and determination. Visually impaired from a young age, Kennedy’s commanding tone and unwavering spirit tell a story of strength that goes beyond physical sight.
Hailing from the interior Seme Village in Kisumu County- Kenya, Kennedy’s journey is one of triumph over adversity. Raised by his grandmother in the absence of his parents, he became a champion not just for himself but for an entire community.
He never had a chance to see the grandmother who raised him. Still, through him, his extended family and villagers can see the light and live comfortably by what they say as Kennedy being their champion and a defender, who is never deprived by his disability but using every opportunity he gets to explore his potential.
Despite the challenges of his upbringing, Kennedy has excelled academically and personally, proving himself to be a resilient and motivated individual. His inspiring journey is a testament to the power of perseverance and determination in the face of adversity.
The thirty-year-old father of one narrated to me how he lost his sight at a young age due to inaccessible, unavailable, and unaffordable quality health care because of poverty. They reside in the village outskirts, where the only source of income is farming, knitting mats, and fishing since they are closer to Lake Victoria. Most people in his area do not easily access healthcare due to poor infrastructure and even poor network connections to the health facilities in times of emergencies.
“Before I lost my parents, they narrated to me how I lost my sight due to measles infection, at the age of 2 years. This happened because they did not have the money to take me to the hospital for proper treatment since my eyes were to be operated on, as a result, it got worse and that is how I lost my sight and have never seen anything up to date”, Ochieng narrated.
One would be eager to understand how he could manage to beat all odds and even gain the vast knowledge he has on various aspects of life
“Even though my parents were poor, they valued my education, and they worked hard to ensure that I was enrolled in an integrated school which was hard to cope in because there were no Special Needs teachers for the learners with disability,” Ochieng narrated.
Kennedy said that even though he met an able teacher who gave him support in his preschool, it did not take long before the teacher retired and his enrollment in the school would all be in vain since she was the only one knowledgeable in special needs.
“I was then transferred to St. Oda Aluor School for the visually impaired, in the hands of Sister Hellen Piers by then, who later handed me over to Sister Leonora Anyango in her transfer. At that time, I got
sponsored by Liliane Fonds, and up to now I am still grateful for the support they have given me. And this was the time when I lost my parents,” he said.
Through hard work and resilience, he was able to finish his secondary education and could even hope to proceed to higher learning since he had the determination to change the lives of his family and other siblings. He was able to join college and studied, Community Development and Social Work, a course which he could not finish due to lack of school fees.
“I joined the Make Way Consortium through St Francis Oriang’, a local partner organization for CDSK, which recommended me to the LF in their quest for a Regional Council for Persons with Disabilities youth representative – the Make Way Programme,”.
“Before engaging in Make Way activities, I was not aware that persons with disabilities can have access to quality Sexual and Reproductive Health care services, Through the Make Way Programme I have felt that I have a voice that must be listened to despite my disability.” He said.
“Through the educational support I have gotten from Liliane Fonds, and also the diverse knowledge I have gained from the Make Way Programme, I am well informed, and even youths from my village, see me as their ambassador and as their champion because of how firm I stand for the rights of persons with disabilities in our county, “he said.
“I have been able to take part in Make Way activities like the intersectional budget advocacy training, and intersectional community scorecard processes, whereby my voice has to be heard as a person with a disability, even in the county public participation, I have to be called to give my voice because through Make way I have learned that persons with disabilities require to access information in all matters of development since our input matter, “he added.
Kennedy is a very active member of County Policing through Chief Barazas in his home sub County, where he speaks for persons with disabilities besides being part of the advocacy Committee of SRHR in the Make Way and also a member of the Advocacy Committee under the Anglican Development Services where in all these he represents persons with disabilities.
His lovely wife, Gorrety Atieno, could not hide her joy while describing his partner, Kennedy. Gorrety described Kennedy as a hardworking, disciplined man and their family’s bedrock
“In the past, we could only depend on porridge as a whole day meal, but nowadays we can even take milk tea, we have solar lighting in our home unlike in the past when we could use paraffin lamps, but all these are because of the dedication in Kennedy, to ensure that he puts a smile on our faces even though he cannot see us but we love him for the great impact he has on people’s lives,” she explained.
She also added that as a young mother with a disability, she has been able to learn about her rights and access to SRH through Make Way ICSC processes, she has attended, Moreover, even the youths from their village know and talk of Make Way
“Kennedy has a voice in this area, he can even call our area leaders, who will pick his calls and listen to him because he has his community at heart and has built connections with several stakeholders, “narrated one of the youth participants.
“I would wish to encourage persons with disabilities that their condition is not the end of the road, we all have God-given potential and what matters is how you stand out to explore it, furthermore, parents should not hide children with disabilities in the houses, those children have rights to quality education and can help shape our societies,” he said.
In her book “Dear Daughter: Short and Sweet Messages from a Queen,” Gift Mona says, “You are not defined by your past, your struggles, or your circumstances. You are defined by your strength, your kindness, and your ability to overcome.” This depicts Kennedy’s life story, irrespective of his lived experiences, he can stand out as a champion.
Luciana Hartness Centre is a non – profit community based organization in Uriri Sub-County, working to help young children born with physical problems, and to improve the health of mothers and babies. The vast majority of these people are not only poor but among the poorest of the poor. Poverty and disability reinforce one another contributing to vulnerability and exclusion. They do not have access to the basic human needs. They are kept away from the mainstream society. However, many challenges persist, such as poverty, lack of access to quality education, healthcare, and clean water. To tackle these issues, our non-profit organization work tirelessly to create sustainable change and uplift communities. One of the key challenges faced by the LHC organization is securing funding. Overall, we work to bring hope back to the hopeless and believe in real people-led development. That means shifting the power to the community level. It’s not only the right thing to do, but it’s also the most effective way to ensure results that will last and that are owned and shaped by the people they are meant to reach.
We believe that it is time for people, institutions and networks – wherever they are, big and small – who care about inclusion, dignity and justice, to work together for a world in which top-down meets bottom-up.
Wish you well.
James Omollo
Chairman Luciana Hartness Centre for the Disabled.