Inclusion? State financial support? Assistance for affected families? - No. In contrast to Austria, Kenya is not a welfare state, so women who give birth to children with physical or mental disabilities do not receive any financial support. This means that they cannot afford the urgently needed, intensive medical and therapeutic care for their children.
An additional challenge is the frequent loss of important support systems, notably their social environment. In certain ethnic groups in Kenya, there is still a misconception that the mother is to blame for her child´s disability, which is why partners, family and friends often tend to turn away from the mothers in need.
The social environment plays an important role in Kenya, especially regarding childcare and household management. Since special care and therapy services are also barely available, affected women are often left to fend for themselves and get caught in a downward spiral of poverty.