Naijipu Oasis of Hope CBO
The Naijipu Oasis of Hope CBO run a parent training program and outreach service to support children with disabilities and their mothers in the remote Maasai communities.
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Naijipu Oasis of Hope (NOH) was founded in 2023 by Francesca Naijipu, a passionate advocate who, despite her challenges as a person with disabilities, was determined to create transformative change for children with disabilities and their caregivers in the remote Maasai communities from where she was born. Aware of the widespread neglect, misunderstanding, and discrimination faced by people with disabilities—deeply rooted in poverty, harmful cultural beliefs, and gender inequality—she resolved to take action.
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In Samburu County, there are no specialist healthcare workers, monetary resources are limited and there is little knowledge to provide a basic level of medical support or therapy advice for children with disabilities. Many of the parents have little or no knowledge about their child’s disability or how best to care for their needs.
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​NOH supported by BethanyKids has started to address this need by running parent training days, where a group of mothers and their children with disabilities are brought together and given knowledge and skills to assist them in their caregiving role. This involves giving them a crucial understanding of the medical causes of disability, and essential hands-on practical caregiving skills encompassing good positioning techniques to prevent discomfort and complications, appropriate feeding methods, effective communication strategies, and engaging play activities to stimulate development. The training incorporates individual needs assessments for each child, with the prescription of important specialised equipment such as seats, standing frames, wheelchairs or rollators, which BethanyKids are able to supply.
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Two voluntary Community health workers are being trained for community outreach and follow up and support the mothers and children with their bespoke home care programs.
