The National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya (NFDK) has commissioned a 60-bed capacity dormitory for girls at the Kericho Vocational Rehabilitation Centre in Nyagacho, Kericho County, marking a major boost to vocational training for persons living with disabilities in the region.
The project, constructed at a cost of Sh3.5 million and furnished with an additional Sh500,000, was funded by the NFDK Trust Fund as part of its flagship institutional support programme aimed at strengthening facilities that empower persons with disabilities through education and skills development.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, NFDK Chairperson Professor Francis Kibera said the completion of the dormitory marked a significant milestone in enhancing access to training and improving the welfare of trainees.
“It is not enough just to have a building. Without proper furnishing, it cannot serve its purpose. We are happy that this project has been successfully completed through teamwork,” said Prof. Kibera.
Professor Kibera noted that the sitting president is the patron of the fund and appoints its trustees, a move he said has strengthened collaboration with national government administrators.
“The Fund supports persons with disabilities at both individual and institutional levels. At the individual level, beneficiaries receive assistive devices such as wheelchairs and white canes, as well as tools of trade including hairdressing kits, sewing machines, and car wash machines to promote self-reliance. At the institutional level, the Fund provides small grants of up to Sh300,000 to support minor projects and renovations,” Prof. Kibera remarked.
He encouraged institutions to apply for the grants, noting that the rehabilitation centre could benefit from such support to improve its facilities. He also called on county governments and private sector players to partner with the Fund through corporate social responsibility initiatives to expand support for persons with disabilities.
Prof. Kibera explained that the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya is a trust fund established in 1981 following a national fundraiser spearheaded by the then President Daniel Arap Moi, which raised Sh20 million used to purchase Rehema House in Nairobi. A subsequent fundraiser in 1989 enabled the acquisition of another property in Westlands. The Fund now owns four buildings in Nairobi—Rehema House, a property in Westlands, Rahama Place along Ngong Road, and Rahama College House opposite the University of Nairobi main campus—whose income supports programmes for persons with disabilities across the country.
NFDK has so far successfully completed and handed over 472 projects in 228 special schools and units across the country, which Kibera said the NFDK will continue to implement annually.
“This project will be the fifth of our flagship projects in Kericho County,” Kibera revealed.
During the function, the Kericho Vocational Rehabilitation Centre Manager, Dr. David Omondi Opar, said the institution serves learners from Kericho, Bomet, Narok counties, as well as parts of Upper Kisumu, Nandi South, and western Nakuru.
Opar said the centre caters to three main categories of learners: persons living with disabilities, the vulnerable, and the disadvantaged in society.
“We enroll them, train them, and equip them with practical skills to enable them to navigate life independently. After completion, some secure employment while others venture into business,” said Opar.
Trainees acquire hands-on skills in hairdressing, carpentry and joinery, tailoring, fashion and design, beauty therapy, welding, and fabrication, among other technical courses aimed at enhancing employability and self-reliance.
The institution operates two centres, one in Kericho town and another in Nyagacho estate, with a combined enrolment of 84 students, comprising 60 girls and 24 boys, and 10 teaching staff.
Also present at the event was Ainamoi Sub-County Dr Kibe Maguta, who encouraged the students, saying they are equal to other students and should aim to do even better. “Education and training is the biggest weapon to bring change to the world,” he said.
Other NFDK trustee board members present included Prof. Julia Ojiambo, Dr Mike Kiswili, and Mrs Cecilia Mbaka.
By Dominic Cheres and Hillary Kemei
