
Over 3,000 Disabled Children to Benefit From Free School Transport
The School Transport for Children with Disabilities (STRIDE) programme has benefited over 3,000 children with disabilities in Mombasa since its launch in 2021.
The aim of the program is to improve school enrollment rates for children with disabilities in the county.
Various stakeholders, including Labour CS Florence Bore, recently held a meeting to review the progress made in improving the social well-being of children with disabilities.
The project is a joint effort between the Mombasa county government, the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, and the United Nations Children’s Fund, which provides technical support.
Bore commended UNICEF for their support in complementing government efforts to assist vulnerable members of society. She called for the program to be expanded to cover more beneficiaries in other counties.
The program provides school transport to children with disabilities and cash transfers to households with such children to help with school-related costs.
The initiative was started after it was found that many children with disabilities are unable to attend school due to transport challenges, stigma, or the lack of disability-friendly institutions, which often forces parents to keep their children at home.
Norwegian Ambassador Andreas Holm and UNICEF Kenya country representative Shaheen Nilofer have called for more partnerships to address funding gaps.
The National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) executive director, Harun Hassan, stressed the need for accurate data to inform social interventions and urged the county government to invest more in the disability medical assessment process.
In conclusion, the STRIDE program has played a significant role in promoting education for children with disabilities in Mombasa, and stakeholders have called for its expansion to cover more beneficiaries in other counties.
Additionally, more partnerships and investment in accurate data collection and disability medical assessment are necessary to improve the social well-being of children with disabilities.
Over 3,000 Disabled Children to Benefit From Free School Transport