Voluntary Service Overseas Kenya (VSO)

Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) Kenya is part of the global VSO network, a leading international development organization founded in 1958. VSO specializes in utilizing the unique contributions of volunteers to address pressing development challenges, with a focus on improving health, education, and livelihoods. VSO Kenya works to empower communities by fostering sustainable, inclusive development and building the capacity of local systems.

VSO’s approach is rooted in the power of volunteering, collaboration, and innovation to create long-lasting change. Its people-centered methodology ensures that vulnerable and marginalized groups, including women, adolescents, and people with disabilities, are prioritized in development programs.

In DESIP program, VSO Kenya played a critical role in social inclusion enhancing equity, inclusion, and community participation in family planning (FP) services, with a focus on persons with disabilities (PWDs) populations.

They facilitated meaningful Integration of disability inclusion of (PWD) in access and uptake of SRH/FP information and services across the counties through  following strategies:

• Community engagement and behaviour change, using peer-led interventions and innovative communication methodologies
• Build the capacity of key stakeholders within health and education systems to deliver socially inclusive, accountable and responsive services
• Advocate for SRHR and disability rights through engaging approaches such as interactive theatre and community volunteering models.
• Providing technical advice and supporting adaptive programming across the project to enable inclusion
• Leading on evidence generation on inclusion and accountability to inform programmatic decisions.

VSO undertook various initiatives and actions towards ensuring that disability inclusion was fully embedded in the implementation of the project by conducting Social Exclusion and Gender Analysis (SEGA) research, advocacy through support and participation in international World Days, advocacy for modification of existing health infrastructure to be disability-friendly, data capturing of PWDs seeking and using SRH/FP services, development and distribution of disability-friendly IEC materials, capacity building in social inclusion, Mass Media Engagement, Building Partnerships, targeted Outreaches and Inreaches for PWDs.