Caregiving for Children Living with Disability in the Informal Settlements in Kenya: Exploring the Social Experiences of the Urban Poor Living in Mukuru Slums in Nairobi

Caregivers are entrusted with provision of the needs of those who are incapacitated by disabilities in the society. However they face many challenges in the process of caregiving. Understanding the experiences of caregivers would be instrumental in addressing the challenges faced in the process of caregiving. The study investigated the social experiences of caregivers of children living with disability. The study was guided by Friedman’s social (dis) empowerment which highlights 8 areas of (dis) empowerment during caregiving. The study adopted descriptive cross sectional study design and a qualitative phenomenological method of data collection. In-depth interviews were conducted to collect data from sixteen (16) primary caregivers of children with disabilities. Data were audio recorded, transcribed and analyzed using MAXQDA Version 12. The study established that caregivers of children living with disabilities face challenges in acceptance, lack of public awareness, burden of caregiving, stigma, embarrassments, inadequate social services as well as socio-psychological challenges. The study therefore recommends programs aimed at addressing such challenges as a necessary public health initiative.

Keywords: caregiving; disabilities; informal settlement.