In preparation for the implementation of the Livelihood for Children with Severe Disabilities, Vision of the Blind carried out a small pilot having received €1483 through iMPACT direct. The objective was to promote the socioeconomic well-being of the less targeted category of Impairments targeting ten
parents/caregivers of Children with Severe Disabilities.by providing guiding and counseling, capacity building in business management and mentorship and provision of business stock to enable them lead a decent life.

The following was achieved:

• Counseling and guidance as well as capacity building sessions in business management mentorships to 7 parents/caregivers.
• Purchased and donated business stock boost to nine parents and caregivers of the children with Severe Disabilities.
• Purchased and donated business stock boost to nine parents and caregivers of the children with Severe Disabilities.
  

We have been able to draw some learnings from the pilot which will be emulated in the course of
implementing the upcoming similar project; thus maximize the expected outcome and impact.
Attestations from the recipients confirm that this project has restored hope in them as they have been in total despair especially considering the fact that they are a rarely targeted category of Impairments.

Additionally, approximately three months since the business boost was donated, our project site visits attestations and feedback received from project participants, local communities and downstream partners confirmed that there was value for money. These include:

a) The supported businesses had started to witness changes for the better as they were gradually
recording profits at least Ksh 500 per day.
b) Local communities had started to feel a sigh of relieve since the beneficiaries were slowly
becoming self-reliant thus reducing the dependency syndrome among parents and caregivers of
Children with Severe Disabilities.
c) The acquired business skills proved to be of great relevance and help since we witnessed good
and proper business record keeping among other business strives realized.
d) We also witnessed four children who were successfully enrolled for Competency-based
curriculum courtesy of the project.
e) On the same note, some of the children with Disabilities who had resumed their education had
also sent a signal of hope to those that were not going to school.
f) We also saw the business stock of some of the recipients growing gradually despite the fact that
the same beneficiaries were relying on the same businesses for their daily upkeep, medicine and
therapy.