In Kenya, Help a Child works with Self-Help Groups (SHGs). These groups exist within communities to support each other. They enable people to save money and issue loans to group members. In this way, opportunities arise for themselves and their families to start a (small) business, pay medical bills, or pay for education.

In 2024, the team of Help a Child Kenya supported the on-site strengthening of Self-Help Groups to ensure their smooth functioning and addressed their challenges in running the groups.

Impact in 2024
72 Self Help Groups were sensitized on financial literacy, goal setting, and income generating activities. This led to an improvement in SHG capital from KES 6,237,829 (€ 41,586) in 2023 to KES 9,732,957 (€ 64,887) in October 2024. The group members’ involvement in savings and loan uptake and the initiation of individual Income Generating Activities (IGAs) has improved the care of children and the provision of their children’s needs. The programme also facilitated refresher training for 158 SHG leaders on record keeping, conflict management, and goal setting. This has helped them to enhance their record-keeping skills and the development of smart goals amongst SHGs.

Brian is a five-year-old boy from Kenya with cerebral palsy and autism. For a long time he was unable to walk or sit without support due to his disability and therefore relying entirely on his mother for daily care. Due to the myths and stigma associated with disability in his community, Brian was often hidden away and denied access to basic healthcare. However, his life completely changed when his mother joined a disability programme.  

Brian’s mother recalls: “As a parent, I struggled with the daily difficulty of carrying Brian everywhere, which added significant stress to my life.” She was not just her son’s caretaker, but also the sole breadwinner of the family. It was during this difficult time that she, a member of the Help a Child Self-Help Group (SHG), was made aware of a disability programme and encouraged to join the Kiangu Wendo People with Disabilities (PWD) Group. This programme aims to build inclusive communities in which children with (and without) disabilities can flourish.

In the quiet village of Mukemo, in Busia County in Kenya, young children once began their school days seated on cold, bare ground inside a crumbling mud-walled classroom. The structure had worn-out iron sheets for roofing and no proper flooring. During rainy seasons, water would flood the classroom, hence disrupting lessons and exposing children to health risks. When a storm eventually blew off the roof, classes continued under trees and verandas, placing children at further risk. Until this year, when Mukemo Primary School went through a complete transformation.