Sarah Ford has a special connection to inABLE, a non-profit organization that empowers visually impaired students in Kenya with computer skills. She was part of the founding team that launched the initiative in 2009, and she recently returned to Kenya to witness the progress of the organization.  

She was accompanied by Madelyn salmon who is currently volunteering at our partner school – St Lucy’s High School for the Blind in Meru – as a computer assistive technology trainer for six months. There, she will train visually impaired students on how to use computer assistive technology to enhance their learning and opportunities. Raised by a mother with visual impairment, Madelyn is looking forward to making a positive impact on the lives of these students, and to learning from them as well. 

At the Thika Primary School for the Blind, Sarah met the inABLE team led by the Program Manager Anthony Ndirangu and some of the students who benefit from the program. She learned about the progress and challenges of the program and how inABLE partners with Google to provide Chromebooks to grade 4, 5, and 6 learners. She also witnessed how the students use assistive technology to create stories, access information, and communicate with others. 

Sarah was amazed by the skills and confidence of the students, especially those who had graduated from the program and became instructors themselves. She met Nehemiah Kirui and Amina Samuel, who are now working as an intern and an instructor at the Thika and Likoni computer labs, respectively. They shared their stories of how inABLE changed their lives and inspired them to pursue their dreams. 

Sarah also visited the Headteacher of the school, Mrs. Penina Mutuku, who expressed her appreciation for Sarah’s visit and inABLE’s support. Mrs. Mutuku reminisced about the program’s beginnings in a small room near the bursar’s office, contrasting it with the present—two expansive computer labs equipped with numerous computers. She humorously mentioned Julius Mbura, now the advocacy manager at inABLE, as her bright student with whom she shares a unique bond. 

Sarah, deeply moved by the transformative impact of the program, pledged to make more visits whenever she’s in the country. Sarah felt honored and humbled by the gratitude and affection she received from everyone at Thika. She realized that she had not only made a difference in their lives, but they had also made a difference in hers. 

Written by Alex Njue, Information Technology Instructor