Daniel Chege

Path to Metis: Throughout his university education, Daniel depended on student loans from the government for tuition and upkeep. Even though this facilitated his learning, the debt had accumulated to worrisome levels. It is only at the tail end of his university education that Daniel realized that, as a person with a disability, he would have benefited financially from the assistance offered by National Council for Persons with Disability (NCPWD).

It’s the aforementioned pain of late realization of the opportunities and resources available for persons with disability that triggered his passionate advocacy and sensitization campaign. He took action by registering a community-based organization, Murera PwD Welfare Association, in his neighborhood.

His efforts gained recognition and in 2019 he was awarded a scholarship for Professional Fellowship Program-Inclusive Education Training by the State Department of Education and Cultural Affairs at the University of Minnesota in the US.

Daniel returned to the country fired up to make an impact. For over 12 months, he tirelessly pitched, lobbied, and justified the need to have an Institute of disability in a college or university in Kenya. The institute would serve as a center for assessment, training, education, research, advocacy, and collaborations.

His determination bore fruits when Daystar University and the University of Minnesota signed an MoU on 20th Feb 2020 birthing Daystar Institute of Disability Studies (DIDS).

Since then, the institute has been host to a mini-grant that has seen 300 participants with disabilities train in entrepreneurship. This singular outfit now has 5 professors running the Board. The highest form of support by the host institution.