Eastern Africa Academy of Childhood Disabilities | Nairobi, Kenya | 21st March 2026

On 21st March 2026, the Eastern Africa Academy of Childhood Disabilities (EAACD) anchored a landmark community health initiative, the Free Ubuntu Medical Camp, held at St. Nicholas Junior Academy in Embakasi South, Nairobi. Guided by the Ubuntu philosophy “I am because we are,” the camp brought together 13 partner organisations and 69 health professionals to deliver comprehensive, free, and inclusive healthcare to one of Nairobi’s most underserved peri-urban communities.

Reach and Impact

The camp surpassed all expectations, serving 730 individuals drawn from Mukuru kwa Njenga, Pipeline, Kware, Imara Daima, and beyond. Eleven clinical disciplines were represented, including paediatrics, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, mental health, genetic counselling, dentistry, optometry, audiology, nutrition, and orthopaedic surgery.

A defining achievement of the camp was the formal disability assessment and registration of 122 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), conducted in direct collaboration with the Nairobi Rehabilitation Office of the Ministry of Health. For many of these individuals, NCPWD registration which unlocks access to cash transfers, assistive devices, government levy exemptions, and legal recognition had previously been out of reach due to complex bureaucratic processes. The camp brought government services directly to the community, with sign language interpreters embedded within the registration team to ensure equitable access for Deaf participants.

A Coalition Built on Ubuntu

The camp was led by the African Special Needs Education Network (ASNEN) as organising partner, with Aga Khan University Hospital serving as anchor hospital. Additional partners included Equity Afya, Avenue Hospital, Nairobi Metropolitan Hospital, the Kenya Dental Association, Eye and U, Nairobi ENT, and Binti First Aid Team alongside county and sub-county government health structures. The camp also facilitated enrolment with the Social Health Authority (SHA), strengthening participants’ long-term access to Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage framework.

Community mobilization led by Community Health Promoters and St. Nicholas Junior Academy staff, and mobile outreach by Eye and U, were instrumental in driving the remarkable turnout, which exceeded initial projections by over 40%.

Looking Forward

The Ubuntu Medical Camp stands as a compelling, replicable model of government-civil society partnership that places disability inclusion and childhood wellbeing at the heart of community health.