January 4, 2023
Anne Onyango, founder of Clubfoot Society of Kenya presented to the IC Downtown Club recently. Throughout this presentation she discusses Clubfoot Society of Kenya and their efforts to provide orthopedic boots for adults with clubfoot. Additionally, she shares how to reduce stigma around clubfoot.
Anne started Clubfoot Society because she faced challenges herself to receive boots to help combat clubfoot discomfort. Initially, she was searching for people similar to her in rural areas, but physical disability was lumped as a singular term. Therefore, she struggled creating a database of contacts for adults with clubfoot. But in the next year, she plans on doing sensitization programs through radio and other platforms to create a formidable force that will encourage the government to help with funding.
Furthering, the conversation around stigma, Anne says she always has to explain why she is disabled and answer individuals questions when they are staring. For example, adults with clubfoot want to buy shoes alone and do not want to try on shoes around other individuals. And while Kenyans are embracing disability progressively, there is a problem where when men have a child with clubfoot and then they often abandon the family entirely. Thankfully, Anne is creating radio programs to discuss these challenges and try to overcome these barriers that allow the stigma around clubfoot to exist.
More details to come in our upcoming newsletter in February.