Trained entrepreneurs with disabilities grow incomes by 35% in Kenya, NGO reports

Income gains reported in July roundup

Entrepreneurs with disabilities in Kenya who took part in business training run by international development organisation Light for the World saw their incomes rise by an average of 35%, according to the group’s July news wrap. The finding highlights how targeted skills and mentoring support can open economic opportunities for people who often face barriers in mainstream employment.

Light for the World, which runs inclusive development programmes across parts of Africa, Asia and Europe, has focused part of its entrepreneurship work on Kenya. The organisation typically pairs business training with mentoring, links to microfinance providers, and, where needed, assistive technology to help participants formalise and grow small informal ventures.

Disability inclusion in the Kenyan economy

Kenya has long positioned itself as a regional leader on disability rights. The country’s 2010 constitution explicitly guarantees persons with disabilities reasonable access to education, employment and public services, and Kenya was an early adopter of a comprehensive national disability-rights law in the region. Yet people with disabilities in Kenya continue to experience notably higher rates of unemployment and underemployment than the general population, particularly within the informal sector where much of the country’s small-scale trading takes place.

Development organisations have increasingly pointed to entrepreneurship as a practical route into economic life, arguing that self-employment can be more readily adapted to different access needs than formal wage jobs. Programmes typically cover areas such as digital marketing, basic bookkeeping, stock management and the practicalities of county-level registration.

According to Light for the World, the latest income data forms part of its regular programme monitoring and will help shape the next phase of its work in Kenya, which the organisation expects to extend to additional counties.

Sources

This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.

• Light for the World — July News Wrap: Trained entrepreneurs with disabilities grow incomes by 35% in Kenya