Upili, as with many endeavors of this nature, has evolved and looks quite different today from the idea with which it began.
Upili originally started as The Joytown Project (JTP).
This project, with a planned launch at SA Joytown Secondary School, aimed to solicit donor funds in order to procure material goods. These items, ranging from specialized desk chairs for Students with Disabilities to the building of a perimeter wall, filled a need at the school. The more we researched and thought about this form of support, however, we realized these were needs which were being filled by other organizations.
What remained unmet were the psychosocial needs of the Students with Disabilities.
Studies show depression is 10x more common in Youth with Disabilities
Depression is one of the most common “secondary conditions” associated with being a Person with a Disability.
As a Next Step Foundation Team, with thanks to Team members Terry, Becky, Daniel, and Mariam who attended Joytown School, we began to realize the long-term career prospects of Youth with Disabilities are diminished not due to lack of talent but as a direct result of the burden of discrimination.
Lacking comprehensive psychosocial support to process trauma caused by discrimination and stigmatization, less than one third of Students with Disabilities graduate from secondary school.
Additionally, when this group graduates and secures jobs, they fail to thrive in the workplace at an equal rate as their non-disabled peers due to having integrated the messaging they have been surrounded by their entire lives: You are not enough. You will not succeed.
Counseling…but what will that look like?
Having a background in Educational Counseling, I knew the power of talk therapy to help individuals identify, process, express and work through and better regulate emotions.
I was hopeful once we presented our idea to secondary schools (secondary in Kiswahili is Upil; our name was born!) they would see the one-on-one sessions would benefit not only students’ mental health, but the teachers and administration as Participants re-entered the school community with increased confidence, improved decision-making skills, and armed with the ability to manage life-stress more effectively effectively.
The more we as a Team considered the Upili Participants and the greater secondary school community things became abundantly clear:
- Our Theory of Change needed to support the entire school and caregiving community
- Upili counselors needed to enter the therapeutic relationship with a foundational awareness of the students’ experiences. We would hire Counselors with Disabilities
- 1:1 counseling, while impactful, does not create community. Individuals in group therapy both give and receive support. This two way support creates a therapeutic alliance and shared sense of goals that fosters support encouragement and connection
The Upili Pilot Program launches in January
Counselors with Disabilities empowering Students with Disabilities through group therapy sessions.
Success determined through mental health, behavioral and academic improvements.
We invite you to join us on this journey of making an impact, changing lives and endeavoring to mitigate the stigma around disabilities in Kenya.
