ISIOLO HOSTS MAMA SIRI TO ADVANCE SRHR FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS WITH DISABILITIES

MAMA SIRI, is a toll free refferal service by women with disabilities for women with disabilities is a community-led movement of trained peer health champions who are women with disabilities and works to reffer women and girls with disabilities in her county by providing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and supportind women with disabilities in reporting sexual and gender-based violence for women and girls with disabilities across Kenya. Through outreach, capacity building, and peer-to-peer support, Mama Siri champions ensure that women and girls with disabilities can access dignified, inclusive, and barrier-free health services. Operating in Nairobi, Isiolo, Kakamega, Kisumu, Kajiado, Narok, Mombasa, Kilifi, kWALE, mandera, Wajir, and Marsabit counties.

In Isiolo, Mama Siri held a community meeting that brought together 60 women with disabilities to strengthen their agency and advocacy skills. Participants were guided through key policy recommendations designed to empower them to claim their rights and support peers in health facilities. They also learned strategies to address common challenges such as communication barriers, stigma, and discrimination, including stepping into the role of peer health providers.

At the meeting, This Ability Trust introduced their programs to the participants. Among the participants was Darmi Kosi, a 35-year-old deaf mother of four who works under the Judiciary’s digital services. She shared the communication challenges faced by persons with disabilities in health centres and government offices and emphasized how crucial such gatherings are in equipping them with knowledge, solidarity, and a stronger collective voice.

Another participant, Mumina Huka, a sign language teacher at Isiolo School for the Deaf, encouraged Isiolo residents and Kenyans at large to learn sign language. She stressed that effective communication is the foundation for dignity, respect, and equal access to services. For Mama Siri, the mission remains clear: to build a community where women and girls with disabilities live healthier, more independent lives—free from barriers and with full access to their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
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