Jonathan, 7, lives with cerebral palsy. Through corrective surgery and follow-up rehabilitation services from Humanity & Inclusion, he is able to walk on his own.

Refugees from South Sudan, Jonathan lives with his mother, Angelina, in Nairobi. Since receiving surgery, Jonathan is also attending school for the first time.

At the suggestion of a Humanity & Inclusion physical therapist, Angelina took Jonathan to see an orthopedic specialist. He received corrective surgery to straighten his legs and make it possible for him to walk. After the operation, Jonathan received a walker, which he rarely needs now unless he walks long distances.

It’s been one year since Jonathan’s surgery. Since the operation, Humanity & Inclusion’s team has been providing at-home rehabilitation care to help Jonathan become more independent. Through rehabilitation sessions, he has strengthened his muscles and improved his balance.

“They help me climb stairs and play with a ball,” Jonathan explains.

Opportunity to learn

Jonathan’s face lights up when Faith Njiru, inclusive rehabilitation field officer for Humanity & Inclusion, visits his family’s home on a cool day in July. They bump fists and he giggles as Faith poses questions about school and his teachers. He answers confidently in English, a language he is just beginning to learn. When Faith asks who Jonathan’s best friend is, he jabs his finger in her direction without hesitation.

“After his surgery, we encouraged his mother to enroll him. Now that he can walk, he’s in school for the first time,” Faith explains.

Jonathan attends classes at a school where the restrooms and playground are accessible for children with limited mobility. Angelina has noticed a number of positive changes in her son.

“He loves reading, eating and playing on the slide at school,” she says.

As for Jonathan, he has big dreams for the future: “I want to be a pilot, so I can fly!”

These activities are funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.

In Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, Racheal Njiru works each day alongside people with disabilities to help remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion. Racheal shares insight on her role as the disability inclusive development project manager at the refugee camp.

I’ve been working at Humanity & Inclusion for over three years as project manager. I chose the humanitarian sector because I love community work. I’ve always felt the need to help others. I trained in the social sciences at Daystar University, in Nairobi, to get the skills and knowledge I need to do this

I particularly enjoy working in the socio-economic sector, supporting refugees in developing their businesses. I want to help bring about positive change, to contribute to the socio-economic development of my country, and more generally of Africa.

Remarkable stories and people

What motivates me is to see that I can make a difference in someone's life. I like to support people in developing a project and see their situation improve. It’s very inspiring to meet people we’ve helped and whose lives have changed.

Some stories leave their mark. I remember one woman who really impressed me. Every month, she delivered coal to a company. Then Covid-19 came along, which upset everything and threatened the survival of many small private businesses like hers. But she wasn’t discouraged. She used the financial support and training that Humanity & Inclusion gave her to save money and build five rental houses. Now she can rent them out and has a new income stream. I really admire this woman's strength and determination.

Everyday problems in the refugee camp

Kakuma camp is home to more than 240,000 refugees who live in very cramped conditions. The resources available to them are insufficient and ill-adapted. For example, there are not enough schools for the number of students. Even the geographical location of the camp is not ideal. It's located in Kenya's arid zone where it can get extremely hot. During periods of drought, people are in danger of losing their livelihoods.

For people with disabilities, there are also physical barriers affecting accessibility in the camp. The infrastructure is not adapted and some people with disabilities have to depend on their relatives to help them access buildings or get around the camp.

Promoting inclusion

Refugees with disabilities face systemic obstacles and barriers. For example, they are not members of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities. This means they don’t benefit from the measures in place for people with disabilities in Kenya, such as training opportunities, distributions of mobility aids or tax exemption for businesses.

It is vital to understand that the people we work with face complex issues, which can make them more vulnerable than others. For example, when different services are offered within the camp, we have to take care to include those who are most vulnerable by asking the right questions. Who are the people most at risk? Will they have access to distribution sites? It is our responsibility to take these aspects into account when identifying needs and delivering humanitarian aid.

In the Kakuma refugee camp, Humanity & Inclusion runs a project which offers functional rehabilitation, psychosocial support & inclusion services, as well as inclusive education and economic inclusion projects. Our goal is to empower everyone to be autonomous. We take a holistic approach, promoting people’s dignity and aiming to improve all aspects of their daily lives. Inclusion is everyone's business and together we can make a difference!

Andrew Mwangi is a Prosthetics and Orthotics Officer at Humanity & Inclusion in Kenya. In the Kakuma refugee camp and the Kalobeyei settlement, he helps people with disabilities access artificial limbs.

When Andrew was younger, he saw someone wearing an artificial limb for the first time.

“I was captivated,” he recalls. “I wanted to know how it was made.”

He turned his fascination into a career, learning how to fabricate and fit artificial limbs, braces and other assistance devices. In December 2021, he joined Humanity & Inclusion to work with refugees and host communities in Kakuma.

“I had not done humanitarian work before, but I was interested in working in that context,” he explains.

Daily life in the field

Andrew is one of 36 full-time Kenyan staff who live at Humanity & Inclusion’s compound near the refugee camp. Staff rotate through 8-week cycles at Kakuma, with 2-week breaks to visit home and decompress, before returning for another two months.

Andrew is the only full-time prosthetics and orthotics officer working at the camp, which has a population of more than 240,000 people. He spends each day of the week visiting one of Humanity & Inclusion’s three rehabilitation centers that are spread throughout the refugee camp, as well as its facility in the nearby Kalobeyei settlement.

“The demand for our services is quite high,” Andrew explains. “I’m covering the four camps and host community. In a given week, I will only visit each place once.”

Andrew does have the support of six technical aid workers—refugees who have been trained in basic fabrication and repair of mobility devices—who staff the workshop at each rehabilitation center. Each workshop includes a cabinet stocked with basic tools and supplies. Crutches of all sizes line the walls. Walkers, wheelchairs, orthopedic shoes, toilet seats, wooden scooters and other mobility devices can also be found.

Journey to fitting

Once someone in need of an artificial limb is identified and assessed—either at the reception center or by staff in the community, the person’s amputated limb is routinely measured and shaped, to ensure proper fitting. The individual also participates in rehabilitation sessions to strengthen their muscles, and learns how to care for their stump and mobility device. Once a person receives their artificial limb, they complete training so they can walk, balance, climb stairs and complete other movements. 

Andrew and his team see people who have required amputations for a number of reasons: gunshot wounds, explosions, snake bites, road traffic accidents, diabetes. 

The waiting list for artificial limbs and braces is long, and funding is limited. In an average year, Andrew explains that Humanity & Inclusion's program at Kakuma has the budget to provide new artificial limbs for 20 to 25 people, and orthotics—such as special shoes or leg braces—for around 85 people. The waiting process can take more than a year because artificial limbs must travel over 125 miles to reach people who are being fitted with them.

Gatkuoth, 17, pictured with Andrew in the lead image, is on the waiting list for an artificial limb.  

The boy’s leg was recently amputated after he sustained a gunshot wound in September 2021. Initially identified at the reception center when he arrived in Kakuma from South Sudan, Gatkuoth is undergoing three months of stump-shaping. Andrew and his team measure the circumference at different points along Gatkuoth’s residual stump, taking note of changes over time. 

“Once it stabilizes, we will know it won’t shrink any further, and then he can be fitted,” Andrew explains, showing Gatkuoth how to wrap a bandage around his leg. Andrew undoes the bandage so Gatkuoth can give it a try himself. Gatkuoth is expected to receive his artificial limb in September 2022.

Provision of artificial limbs, braces and other assistive devices is based on a selection with emphasis on disability, gender and age.

“If fitting someone with an artificial limb will help them enroll in school, we will make them a priority,” Andrew explains.

These actions are supported by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

June 20 is World Refugee Day. Humanity & Inclusion supports tens of thousands of refugees each year, like Rashid who lives in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya.

When Rashid was a baby, he and his family fled violent fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2018. Rashid, now 4, was just a toddler when his mother, Julienne, quickly realized that he had difficulty walking.

“He didn't walk like the other children,” she says. “I couldn’t explain where this comes from because nobody in the family has the same problem."

At the refugee camp, Rashid experienced isolation from other children who didn’t understand his disability. He wasn’t able to play with them.

"The other children rejected him and made fun of him,” Julienne explains.

Post-surgical rehabilitation

Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation team at Kakuma camp diagnosed Rashid with a deformity affecting his knee. In September 2021, the boy underwent corrective surgery on his legs at the Kakuma Mission Hospital, which works in collaboration with Humanity & Inclusion. Once his casts were removed, Rashid was able to walk without any difficulty. He’s continuing rehabilitation exercises to strengthen his muscles and improve his mobility.

Julienne is thrilled to see her son’s improved functioning. Rashid has returned to school, where he has made many friends. He is very popular with his teachers, who find him friendly and energetic.

"I'm very happy to stand up without the other kids making fun of me,” Rashid says.

Humanity & Inclusion at Kakuma

Located in northwestern Kenya, Kakuma refugee camp was established in 1992. It hosts over 200,000 refugees from 13 different countries. Over 40% of the refugees are South Sudanese and over 30% are Somalis.

Humanity & Inclusion assists over 15,000 people in Kakuma camp. The organization provides rehabilitation, mental health and psychosocial support. It also runs a child protection program. These actions are funded by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.

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Humanity & Inclusion's Racheal Njiru and Kazem Hemeda were among 53 Hilton Prize Scholars selected for the 2021 Hilton Humanitarian Prize Laureate Virtual Leadership Institute, in partnership with Atlas Corps. The virtual leadership training opportunity provides professional development to emerging social change leaders exclusively within the Prize Laureate community.

Racheal has worked for two years as a Disability Inclusive Project Manager at the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. Kazem has worked for Humanity & Inclusion since 2015 and is currently the Deputy Country Manager for Egypt.

Q: Can you tell us more about the Hilton Leadership Institute?

Racheal: It was an 8-month leadership training that involved doing assignments online, meeting online with other scholars weekly and we also had peer coaching calls. Of course, I still had to continue with my job. It was very demanding, so I had to organize my time very well and prioritize tasks.

I was very humbled to represent Humanity & Inclusion in the program. There were just the two of us, Kazem and I. With every scholar I managed to talk to, I made sure I talked about Humanity & Inclusion, what we do globally and in Kenya. So, it was an opportunity to showcase Humanity & Inclusion, and I actually found quite a lot of them were aware of our organization.

I want to express my gratitude to the Hilton Leadership Institute and Atlas Corps. I am privileged to have been part of the Institute’s program. It was very, very inspiring. I hope there will be more opportunities for other Humanity & Inclusion colleagues to equally participate in this kind of programs.

Kazem: I felt thrilled for the experience, and proud to be representing Humanity & Inclusion at this prestigious program. Throughout the 8-month long program, I learned about the missions of other international humanitarian organizations, and I was delighted to engage in conversations with other program colleagues about including persons with disabilities in their respective interventions. I also learned from their innovations and developed a better understanding about the different contexts, challenges and opportunities in different parts of the world. Having this global perspective, I became more interested in learning about Humanity & Inclusion's global work.

Q: Tell us about your capstone project.

Rachael: My project was on facilitating the inclusion of persons with disabilities in socioeconomic development in Kakuma refugee camp and the hosting community. I've been working with persons with disabilities who are in business and I've seen quite a number of barriers. I wanted to look at how systemic change could bring some support to refugees with disabilities in the camp: to identify them and their needs, and target them for certain services that can improve their lives. I did not finish everything in my leadership project, but in my current job the project continues.

Kazem: I will develop a simulation game that will deepen the understanding and commitment of Humanity & Inclusion’s Egypt team to intersectionality and our Disability, Gender, Age institutional policy with funding that I received through a $2,000 "community impact grant" from the program.

Q: What are the key lessons that you have learned and that you can apply in your everyday work?

Racheal: The most important thing that I have learned is that sometimes, as leaders, we are under too much pressure. We have to do our work, ensure that our teams are delivering, both according to our organization’s mandate as well as donor expectations. But we forget about developing ourselves as leaders. I plan to be more aware of myself, to try and develop myself, become better and see how I can develop my team and others.

It's very interesting to actually know that there's so many other people who are doing humanitarian acts across the globe, to know that I'm not the only humanitarian worker who is working very hard to ensure that we are able to support persons with disabilities or marginalized people to have a better livelihood.

In addition to that, I was able to understand in very simple terms the aspect of intersectionality: to identify and recognize that the population we work with face many complex issues that make them even more vulnerable than others.

Kazem: Some of the key things I learned include tactics for leading successful movements, the applications for the concept of intersectionality, as well as a lot of personal development notions and practices such as self-compassion, conflict management styles, strategies for personal resilience, and strategies for remote working.I will exercise the leadership skills I learned through my day-to-day work. I became more self-aware, more capable of addressing conflicts, offering coaching, and more able to deal with stress.

Second, I am implementing a "leadership project" that aims to promote intersectionality among Humanity & Inclusion's operations in Egypt.

Q: Why is inclusion so important?

Racheal: One thing that I always say is that inclusion is not just a Humanity & Inclusion issue. When people or partners want to construct accessible buildings they always think of approaching HI. Inclusion is more than construction of accessible buildings it should be embraced using the twin track approach and partners should be in inclusion in the entire project cycle duration. Humanity & Inclusion will always offer the technical support and expertise to our partners whenever they need it. So, I think if people look at it that way, then we can be able to move forward in the journey of inclusion.

Kazem: Inclusion is a value that humanity needs to thrive in today's world of complex problems. Inclusion means that everybody, including vulnerable populations, have a fair chance to live in dignity, realize their potential and contribute to an equitable and sustainable development.

Q: What motivates you and your work?

Racheal: I love community work. I felt in my heart before joining campus that I wanted to serve humanity and I wanted to be empowered with knowledge on how to do that. What motivates me in my work, is when I am able to see a positive change in someone’s life since I started interacting with them.

Kazem: Despite the challenges we face every day, I motivate myself by remembering that we, as an organization, promote the values of humanity and inclusion, and that we can contribute to making the lives of marginalized and vulnerable people better and happier. This is, indeed, a meaningful mission.

Q: Is there a certain moment or person that stands out in your time at Humanity & Inclusion?

Racheal: In March 2020, when Covid-19 hit, I personally felt very discouraged. I was afraid that all of the effort invested into the project I had been implementing was going to go down the drain. Most of our project participants experienced their businesses being affected by COVID. We got a request from our donor—UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)—to develop a concept on the recovery of the businesses that had been affected by COVID-19 and how to cushion them from the effects of the pandemic for six months. With that funding, we were able to support project participants to be able to absorb the economic shock and survive during Covid-19.

One project participant really impressed me: A lady who has a contract to supply charcoal each month to an organization. She was able to save money and constructed rental houses. She made me look at life in a very different way. She did not get discouraged because of Covid-19 pandemic instead, she looked at how was she would be able to support herself then and in the future. Thanks to the business grant we provided to her and the business development trainings that she received, she was able to save money and get herself another income stream.

Kazem: One of the memorable moments was the closing ceremony of the IDMAG—Idmag is Arabic for “inclusion”—project, which I had the honor to manage for five years. The project aimed to improve youth with disabilities' access to livelihood opportunities and social services. I felt very happy to listen to the positive speech delivered by the Minister of Social Solidarity at the event. The speech gave me hope that the impact of IDMAG project was not limited to the local communities it served, but rather, it would extend nationally.

Q: Why is it important for people to support Humanity & Inclusion's work and the communities we serve?

Racheal: We serve a very unique population of persons with disabilities and vulnerable populations, and we are in the business of ensuring that their lives are improved. We promote their dignity in our different projects. We are very keen on matters regarding inclusion. We want to see persons with disabilities taking different positions in leadership and bringing change. We also ensure that we support more partners to be more inclusive and to understand and apply intentional inclusion in their programming.

The communities we serve are happy that Humanity & Inclusion is providing different services. Right now, in Kakuma, we have rehabilitation, inclusive education and livelihood projects. What is Humanity & Inclusion trying to do? We're trying to promote independence for everyone. Because you would wish that persons with disabilities are able to be empowered economically, empowered in education and also are able to be functionally independent. It’s this holistic approach that we want to look at, and we hope that we'll keep getting the support from our donors to be able to continue doing this noble task.

Kazem: In my opinion, Humanity & Inclusion is a unique organization that capitalizes in its enormous technical expertise and talented team to empower persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups to assert their rights. At the same time, Humanity & Inclusion supports a multitude of stakeholders, including service providers and governments, to become inclusive and responsive to the needs and priorities of vulnerable groups. This twin-track approach has proven effective as it leaves the served communities with increased capability ownership for their own development.

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As we celebrate World Humanitarian Day on August 19, get to know Margaret Nguhi, Humanity & Inclusion’s country manager in Kenya.

Q: Could you tell us briefly about your background?

I’m Kenyan, from Nairobi. I initially worked as a healthcare manager and then moved into the humanitarian sector. I worked for the different INGOs in South Sudan and Kenya before joining HI. I’m now Country Manager of HI in Kenya.

Q: How did you come to work for an NGO?

Having grown up in a place where I was constantly confronted with suffering, I decided to become a nurse. I wanted to work with communities. I couldn’t get over the huge gap between the medical staff and the patients who needed care. They’re given very little medical information, so they know nothing: what they have, what they should do, how to protect themselves from illnesses, or what medication to take. They see doctors as saviors—the ones who know everything. They say, "please help me.” They never ask questions. That's how we grew up: we didn’t ask questions.  I was really touched by this vulnerability. I felt a strong desire to provide people with information and to empower them to be actors in their own lives. I wanted them to know how to protect themselves from certain diseases, how to care for themselves, and how to identify certain symptoms. So, I decided to do public health in South Sudan—with Samaritans Purse organization at the time—I visited people in villages and talked with them. It was my vocation, my drive, my motivation.

Q: Then you joined Humanity & Inclusion?

Yes, I returned to Kenya and worked in the Kakuma refugee camp in the north of the country where there were some 200,000 refugees, first with IRC, then with HI, where I occupied various positions, and finally as Country Manager of HI.

Q: What really motivates you?

Being able to change someone's life. Our projects —rehabilitation, maternal health, etc.—have a big impact on people’s lives. My motivation has always been the people we assist. I am not an 'office person'. I'm someone who needs to get out there and who wants to see and experience life. HI's approach, which is centered on individuals, on their personal needs, suits me down to the ground.

Q: Which memory stands out for you?

I remember this woman with disabilities I met when I was managing a maternal health project in Nairobi. In Kenya, women with disabilities suffer a lot of stigma. Some medical teams even think they’re asexual. People think they don’t and can’t have a sex life and bear children. So, when they get pregnant, they don’t go to the clinic because they don’t want to be judged or criticized.

I remember talking with one woman. We talked for a long time, and she finally agreed to go to the health center for pregnancy care, she was assisted and she had a hospital delivery. After that I asked her to give her testimony to health staff during disability awareness sessions. They realized this woman was like all women, and so they changed their attitude toward women with disabilities. It was a small victory—for me, for her, for all of us. It helped her gain confidence, and now she’s an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities with HI. She’s become an activist.

Q: You’re a woman, a Kenyan citizen and a Country Manager, don’t you face a lot of challenges?

Of course, it’s difficult to be a woman and a Country Manager in a patriarchal country like Kenya. It would be easier if I were a man. You need to “build the attitude.” And there’s also size. In Kenya, size matters. I’m small. And there’s also the security situation in the country. We work in the Dadaab refugee camp, for example, where the security situation is highly volatile and unstable, and it’s difficult to recruit staff to work there.

Q: What’s your ambition as head of HI in Kenya?

I am proud to be Kenyan and to be able to give it my best shot, with the whole team, on the projects run by HI. I like the idea of a Kenyan woman representing HI, an international organization, and coordinating the humanitarian response in my own country. 

Saisa’s leg was amputated after an unknown critter stung or bit her foot, causing a serious infection. With help from Humanity & Inclusion, she is learning to get back on her feet and has already returned to school.

Saisa, 10, lives with her parents and seven brothers and sisters in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp. At a birthday party near her home, Saisa was bitten or stung on her left foot. After the injury, her leg became gangrenous and required a life-saving amputation.

"Saisa was 2 years old when we arrived in Kakuma,” says her mother, Rihad. “My daughter was in good health. And then this happened. One day she went to play with her friends and the next morning she told us she’d been bitten or stung by something. We don't know what. At first, I thought she’d had a nightmare, but then things got worse.

“We took her to hospital, but we were under lockdown because of Covid-19, so we were sent away before she could be treated. Back home, her leg started to swell up and got worse, so we returned to hospital."

The doctors spotted the first signs of gangrene and, to save her life, amputated her leg below the knee.

A support network

Humanity & Inclusion’s physical therapists immediately began providing Saisa with the care she needed. She was also given psychological support to cope with the distress of losing her leg. Saisa continues to visit Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation center, where she is supported by a multidisciplinary team.

“I first met Saisa just two days after her amputation,” explains Stella Mwende, a physical therapist. “We initially focused on treating her stump and giving her emergency psychological support. She was then referred to the rehabilitation center, where she was given rehabilitation care once a week. We started by doing exercises with her to increase her flexibility and strengthen her muscles. We also gave her a pair of crutches.”

Saisa has already learned to keep her balance and get around using the crutches. Humanity & Inclusion also built parallel bars at her home to help in her recovery.

“Saisa can go out and play with her friends at last without me running after her all the time,” her mother says.

Humanity & Inclusion teams also supported Saisa’s family through this tough time, explaining the different stages of grief that Saisa was experiencing. Her family learned how to reassure her and encourage her to learn new skills and become more independent.

“I found the hospital really stressful because I thought I was going to lose her,” Saisa’s mother explains. “Once we got home, some people from Humanity & Inclusion came and now my daughter feels more hopeful about the future.”

Back to school

Humanity & Inclusion’s inclusive education team also helped find a place for Saisa at an inclusive school near her home.

“We’ve put a plan in place so Saisa can return to school under the right conditions,” explains Caleb Omollo, an occupational therapist. “The first decision, which we took with Saisa and her family, was to transfer her to a school closer to home, where the teachers are trained in inclusive education and are used to assisting children with disabilities. We have assigned an educational assistant to monitor her progress at school and to look after her welfare both inside and outside the classroom.”

Saisa walks to school each day with a classmate named Ana.

"We’ve also put in place a system to make sure Saisa feels safe on the way to school,” adds Caleb. “We want Saisa to feel she belongs to her school and her community as soon as possible, so she can play a full role in every aspect of society.”

She also attends psychotherapy sessions to help her rebuild her confidence and reconnect with others.

“We work on her interaction with other children, and we help them learn from each other,” Caleb says.

Saisa is now waiting to be fitted with a prosthetic leg from another service provider, which should happen soon. Humanity & Inclusion will continue to support Saisa with the services she needs to move forward.

“It’ll be good to play with my friends again when I get my prosthesis,” Saisa says. "I'm really glad to be back at school again now. I want to be a businesswoman when I grow up and sell a lot of things!”

Header image: Saisa completes classwork at school. Inline image: Saisa with her mother. Copyright: A. Patient/HI

Faiso’s right hand was burned severely by hot water in 2017, causing her to lose the ability to complete basic tasks like writing, bathing and getting dressed. Two years later, Faiso’s mother reached out to Humanity & Inclusion for support.

In 2019, Humanity & Inclusion hosted a routine awareness event, informing people living in the Ifo Refugee Camp in Kenya of the rehabilitation services its team provides. After the session, Faiso’s mother decided to take her daughter to Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation center.

The team assessed Faiso’s hand and determined she would need surgery to regain full range of motion. Before surgery, Humanity & Inclusion provided psychosocial services to Faiso and her family to create a supportive structure for her recovery. 

After the procedure, Humanity & Inclusion conducted home visits to provide additional counseling and rehabilitation, helping Faiso gain the ability to independently feed, dress and bathe herself. After 22 at-home rehabilitation sessions, Humanity & Inclusion’s team determined Faiso had regained the use of her right hand.

Faiso's care was supported by a multi-year project funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, with the goal of strengthening the environment for refugee and host communities in Kenya through the provision of community-based services including protection, rehabilitation, and psychosocial support.

Faiso, now 10, is in grade one at the Sunlight Primary School. During Humanity & Inclusion’s most recent home visit in January 2021, Faiso was joyful and bonding with her siblings. 

“I am very grateful for the support I was accorded by the Humanity and Inclusion team from Ifo camp.,” she says. “I was at first afraid of the surgery but after the counseling session by the Humanity & Inclusion team, I accepted to undergo the procedure. My mother was also very supportive. She would always encourage me to continue with the counseling sessions for recovery. Now I can move my right hand without any challenge or discomfort and eat comfortably, I can even draw using my hand and also help my mother in doing light house chores like sweeping the floor.”

Saisa developed such serious health issues after being pricked by a poisonous thorn that her leg had to be amputated. Humanity & Inclusion is providing rehabilitation and psychosocial support for Saisa.

Saisa, 10, was attending a birthday party in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya last year when she was pricked on the left foot by a poisonous thorn. After a week of traditional treatment, Saisa’s condition continue to worsen. Her leg was turning black and her skin was peeling. Her mother took her to the International Rescue Committee hospital, where doctors determined Saisa was experienced gangrene. She was admitted to the hospital and, two days later, her leg was amputated.

After surgery, Humanity & Inclusion’s pediatric rehabilitation workers worked with Saisa to shape her stump, help her manage phantom pain and teach her exercises to expand her range of motion. She also received psychosocial support to process the trauma and grief of losing her leg.

Saisa continues to receive care at Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation center in the refugee camp, focusing on physical exercises to strengthen her muscles and train her balance, as well as psychosocial support to improve her self-esteem.

Soon, Saisa will be equipped with a prosthetic leg. In the meantime, Saisa has learned to walk with crutches. Saisa’s parents and her six siblings are also learning about the stages of grief so they can support Saisa on her journey to recovery.

“Saisa can finally go out and play with her friends without my supervision,” says Rihad, Saisa’s mother. “In the hospital, I was stressed and I thought my daughter had become useless. I never knew that someone would help me. When I went home, the Humanity & Inclusion people came to my house and now my daughter is a person again.”

When schools reopened this year, Humanity & Inclusion made sure Saisa was transferred to an inclusive school within her neighborhood.  Her confidence is growing each day, and she has big dreams for her future.

“I want to be a businesswoman when I grow up and sell many things,” Saisa says. “I am very happy that I can go to school now.”

Image: A young girl named Saisa uses crutches as she walks with her friends at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. Copyright: HI

To mark International Women's Day on March 8, we talked to Reiza Dejito, a strong woman who is deeply committed to both her family and her role at Humanity & Inclusion. Currently serving as the Program Director for Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, Reiza has worked in numerous countries affected by humanitarian crises for two decades.

Why did you decide to join Humanity & Inclusion?

I graduated in science and physical therapy, and I earned diplomas in teaching and then management. I also completed several volunteer missions in the Philippines (my home country) and Ethiopia. And then, three months after leaving Ethiopia, I joined Humanity & Inclusion as a victim assistance project manager in Bor, South Sudan. Since then, I have worked in Kenya, Bangladesh, the Philippines and now Nepal.

Is there one experience that really stands out?

Working with Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. They’ve suffered so much. One woman told me how she watched helpless as her husband was murdered and her house was burned down. A 9-year-old child, who was injured in the arm by a bullet after being caught in the crossfire, told me he’d forgiven the attacker for hitting the wrong target. Men, women and children walked for days and days to cross the border with little food and water. Awful. 

As a director in the Philippines, I joined the emergency team to help the victims of Super Typhoon Goni. I was extremely impressed by the resilience and generosity of Filipinos. And the commitment of my team and partner organizations to provide assistance to those who needed it most.

What’s the hardest part of your job?

As Program Director, I’m responsible for the security and protection of my teams and ensuring they are safe and sound, and in good health, especially during emergencies, crises and conflicts. In 2016, I had to manage the evacuation of Humanity & Inclusion’s teams in South Sudan following a series of deadly clashes between armed groups. It was the most trying experience of my career.

What's really important when it comes to working with your team?

Trust. Transparency. Empathy. And being able to laugh together.

Humanitarian and mother: how do you strike the right balance?

For many women, achieving this balance is a huge challenge and often prevents them from taking on more responsible positions. I’m extremely fortunate to have a supportive family and a husband who takes care of our child when I’m working. Thanks to their support, I can do the job I do. My family is my biggest incentive. They really inspire me to do better every day.

Is gender equity a challenge in the humanitarian sector?

I’ve been personally fortunate to work with male colleagues and team leaders who are advocates for women's leadership. But while many women work in the humanitarian sector, there are still too few in senior positions. Many organizations have made a lot of progress, but not enough. There is a great deal of work to do before we achieve greater equity. It’s not an easy task, because these inequalities run deep. They’ve been entrenched in cultural, social, financial and political life for generations. It’s not simply a question of empowering women and advancing their rights, but of changing corporate cultures. Men also have a role to play here. I want to see women access positions of responsibility just like men. I think we'll get there...slowly but surely.

Header image: A Filipino woman named Reiza (wearing the blue visor) and another woman carry a tub of supplies after Typhoon Goni in the Philippines. Copyright: HI

Inline image: Reiza squats down to talk with a girl who has an artificial leg at a refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya, in 2015. Copyright: Xavier Bourgois/HI