Championing inclusive communities in Kenya was once an idea that was mooted by Elizabeth Ombati (Chairperson) and Njoroge Samuel(director)in April 2022 during a Strategic Planning meeting by TCI Global in Bangkok Thailand. Under the TCI Fellowship program, CIC has transited into a national movement advocating for the rights of persons with psychosocial and neurodiverse disabilities. The main objective is to advocate for the inclusion of persons with psychosocial disability in all areas of socio-economic activities, opportunities and services. For a long time, persons with psychosocial disability have been marginalized on the basis of the much-hyped stereotype of ‘inadequate mental capacity and ability’ which has denied them the right to legal capacity to be recognized on an equal basis with other persons. These perceptions are social constructs that are based on social learning and mostly embedded in cultural and religious beliefs.
Both the mental health act (1989) and the Mental health amendment act (2021) facilitates institutionalization of persons with psychosocial disability whereby individuals are removed from the community where they should receive support and care like healthcare, social protection, education, sexual and reproductive healthcare, psychosocial support and other alternatives to mainstream mental health system.
TCI facilitated the first ever Sub-region OPD Capacity building workshop for OPDS and Stakeholders consultative forum in Addis Ababa in July2022 which was followed by TCI country missions in Kenya and Uganda in early August.
CIC K actively participated in the two events and has generated a reflection of the activities from the participants, in the form of individual and OPD activities which forms part of the WhatWENEeed campaign by TCI Global. Some individuals have shared their real-life experiences and how these experiences have inspired them to become self-advocates while others have developed leadership positions in the movement. CIC membership embraces both individual and OPD membership and will be partnering with other stakeholders in building the capacity of OPDs nationally and beyond under the TCI umbrella.