Who We Are
The Kenya Working Group (KWG) is a group formed within the framework of the International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation (ICDR) at the University of Toronto. The Kenya Working Group involves the collaboration of McMaster University, the University of Toronto and partners made within Kenya whose focus is the care of people with disabilities.The Kenya Working Group began as an initiative in 2004, with the goal to assist in the development of projects designed to provide health care to the increasing number of disabled people throughout Kenya. The purpose of the Kenya Working Group is to partner with existing groups in Kenya to optimize skills and resources between our community in Canada and resource poor communities in Kenya. As a working group of the ICDR, the KWG is comprised of and draws upon the skills and interests of faculty members, clinicians, and students interested in rehabilitation programmes for people living with disabilities. The group proposes that rehabilitation be viewed from a multidisciplinary approach and therefore encompasses professionals from a variety of vocational backgrounds.
Background / Rationale
According to the World Health Organization approximately 80 percent of the world’s 650 million people living with disability are living in the low-income countries. The United Nations Development Programme ranked Kenya 148 out of 177 countries on the Human Development Index for the year 2002. This index evaluates countries based on three dimensions of human development: living a long and healthy life, being educated and attaining a decent standard of living. Canada ranked 4th on the HDI.
Given the poor ranking of Kenya by the United Nations Development Programme and lack of census information on prevalence of disability in Kenya, (most recent estimates from the UN Statistics Division are from 1989), Kenya is the ideal country for collaboration with rehabilitation specialists in Canada.
Description of the Kenya Working Group
The Kenya Working Group consists of a number of volunteers within the rehab sector in Canada committed to developing services with partners in Kenya. In keeping with goals of the International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation, the group will address issues of disability and rehabilitation in Kenya in the areas of clinical training, service provision, social integration as well as research and program evaluation. The Kenya working group is open to health care professionals at varying levels of their vocation including early entry professionals who are interested in international health.
As the KWG is primarily interested in addressing issues around disability and rehabilitation, partnerships in Kenya are developed with various NGO groups whose projects are consistent with the mission of the ICDR and the objectives of the KWG. The KWG is a small group based out of Toronto area with affiliation members spread across Canada who are connected via the internet.
Structure
The Kenya Working Group is one of several working groups under the umbrella of the International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation. The Kenya Working Group features a collaboration of members under the direction of a chairperson as well as an elected core committee that meets regularly to provide strategic planning direction and evaluation of program initiatives. The Kenya Working Group, as a volunteer organization is made up of key stakeholders and collaborators from the rehabilitation sector, University of Toronto, McMaster University, people with disabilities, students and individuals with international experience.