The Action Foundation March 2023 Updates

Happy Women's History Month! We're thrilled to be back in your inbox as we share our first newsletter of the year and highlights from our programs.

The Action Foundation wins in the National Diversity and Inclusion Awards! We are thrilled to announce our win of the 2023 National Diversity and Inclusion Awards in the Programs/ NGO that Promotes PWD Inclusion Category! We are so happy and humbled by this new recognition, which truly represents our mission, dedication, and hard work toward disability inclusion. The awards recognize employers, institutions, organizations, and individuals who champion Diversity, and promote Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB), in the workplace and society. Michelle Obama recognizes The Action Foundation. Our Ibuka Girls in STEM Initiative aims to enhance the interest, skills, and knowledge of girls with disabilities in STEM subjects and careers through hands-on learning experiences. On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Michelle Obama and The Girls Opportunity Alliance highlighted Betty Mulavi - our Learning and Impact Officer and a Mentor- and our work in STEM on their different social media platforms. Here is a link to the video. In addition, highlights of the initiative were published by The African Renewal, a United Nations digital magazine that covers Africa’s economic, social, and political developments. To explore what we are learning from a year of rolling Ibuka Girls In STEM in all eight regions of Kenya, read our White Paper on Expanding Opportunities for Girls with Disabilities in STEM.

Ibuka Mentorship Program Our Ibuka Mentorship Program aims to build agency among women and girls with disabilities through life skills, leadership training, and capacity enhancement to prevent and respond to GBV. Over the past three years, we have learned that violence cannot be resolved in isolation from factors such as education and employment. As a result, the initiative has evolved to be responsive to the needs of our community of women and girls through scholarships, digital skills training, and economic empowerment. Highlights of the Program were shared in this joint blog with Womenstrong International. Father Involvement in Responsive Caregiving Although mothers are generally more involved with their child’s direct care, a father’s participation in the care of a child with a disability is linked to better child psychological health compared with families with non-participating fathers. We have continued to grow our fathers’ engagement in responsive caregiving for children with disabilities and now 126 fathers have been engaged in our group sessions which provide an open space for dialogue and peer-to-peer support. Using our Tuwalinde Guide for Fathers of Children with Disabilities, we are proud that the fathers cascade what they are learning to others in their communities. Our successful approach has been documented in a publication by Upward Bound on Encouraging Male Involvement in Early Childhood Development. Read it here

Teacher training on learning materials to support Inclusive Early Childhood Education

Training on Inclusive Early Childhood Care and Education We're happy to introduce Nuru - Our Training Program on Inclusive Early Childhood Care and Education(IECCE)! We've been doing some amazing work in the last few years and wanted to share it with you. With this training, we want to help more people learn how to support responsive care and early learning for children with disabilities. The training will provide digital and in-person module-based lectures that are accessible to anyone who might benefit from them. Please email us at info@theactionfoundationkenya.org to let us know if you're interested in the training and get updates for the upcoming e- launch.

Featured Blog

Read Betty Mulavi's Inspiring Story on How She is Mentoring Girls with Disabilities in STEM.

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