On Cerebral Palsy Day 6th October, Mwende hopes to raise awareness about the inclusivity of people with disability
Josephine Mwende, a Nguvu change leader with cerebral palsy has an ambitious goal to become the first woman with cerebral palsy to be part of the Kenyan government to represent persons with disability.
She has been driven by her own experiences and this very much extends to people who are disabled and are seeking for a change.
“In Kenya, people with disabilities are often left on the fringes, when it comes to decision-making. I want to be their voice,” says Mwende.
She has a clear mission: inclusive policies, improved services, and equity for all persons with disabilities. She is convinced that only those whose lives are affected should define policies that govern their lives.
Mwende’s activism is also based on her life history. A petition with the purpose of establishing a Hotline for PWDs in Public Hospitals in Nairobi notes the compelling desire for access to health care with dignity.
“For many people with disabilities, proper medical attention can literally be a matter of life or death,” she asserts.
For Josephine it’s not merely a quest about overcoming personal obstacles, it is also about seeking justice for millions of Kenyans with disabilities who have been deprived of fair chances and services.
She wishes for a day in the future when disability will be a limitation of the body and not a stigma as well as empowering those individuals in society.
As the world commemorates Cerebral Palsy Day, which is observed annually on October 6th, Mewende wishes that her experience will touch the hearts of many and raise awareness of the need for change.
“I want every person with a disability in Kenya to be heard, to be seen and to be availed with the chances that are rightfully theirs,” she asserts.
Written by Nguvu Change Leader Josephine Mwende
