This Ability is a women-led non-profit organization that works to advance the rights and inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in Kenya. The charitable trust’s objective is to amplify the voices and increase the visibility of women and girls with disabilities, creating a world in which more disabled people have equal opportunities economically, socially, and politically with their rights acknowledged, upheld, and respected.
- 65 healthcare providers have been trained on the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of women with disabilities, changing the negative attitudes toward the sexualities of women with disabilities
- 500 women with disabilities are part of their safe space of discussion on sexuality
- 160 grants distributed during Covid-19 first wave as humanitarian assistance strategy for women with disabilities
- 300+ dignity kits distributed during Covid-19 first wave
- 50+ volunteers on our data registration campaign for Hesabika
- 300+ women empowered through the organization’s work across Kenya
- 8 counties impacted, including Kisumu, Kakamega, Kilifi, Kwale, Nairobi, Kajiado, Uasin Gishu and Mombasa
- 21,800 persons with disabilities reached through Mama Siri and Hesabika
- The organization is building a movement for women with disabilities in Kenya, creating a collective voice that will enable them to engage with policymakers and influence change
- This Ability used mobile technology to better address the lack of insight and invisibility of women with disabilities, giving them a platform to discuss their needs and inform policymakers of the right next steps
- This Ability uses social media to change social norms on the public perception of disability as portrayed in the media from a charity-based approach
Lizzie Kiama
At the age of 18, Lizzie became disabled as a result of a car accident that changed her life. She has dedicated the past decade to understanding the negativity around the term “disabled”. After years of exploration, she finally found the specific intersection where she felt she could bring a significant change in the world.
As the Founder of This Ability, Lizzie is amplifying the voices, building capacity, and creating visibility for women with disabilities across Kenya and beyond. In 2020, she launched the first national USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) platform to collect data on women and girls with disabilities and disseminate key information on sexual and reproductive health matters using mobile technology. The innovation helped break the misinformation barriers of a “taboo” topic in Kenyan society and had serious, though positive implications on women and girls with disabilities.
If we empower women with disabilities with relevant skills and confidence then we build their capacities to agitate for change in their respective spaces and ensure the rights and autonomy of women and girls with disabilities in Kenya.
