A team from the Pwani University (PU) were recently visiting the Technische Universität München (TUM) in preparation for a new program funded by the BMZ and DAAD. The project which has a budget or €400,000 will look into developing and trying out ideas on including people with disabilities into the society.
The program’s curriculum will be based on the strategy of the Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) developed by the World health Organisation (WHO). The program aims to help in the implementation of the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
The kick off conference will be held in Kilifi this December to develop the basics of the upcoming research. The event aims at mainly asking questions between the research from Kenya and other African countries with those from Germany. Some of the questions this conference aims to answer include:
What is considered disability (in Kenya and in Germany)?
What role does socio-cultural factors play in the understanding of “being normal or being different” and in how we react to differences?
What examples do you already have in the CBR?
What role does the community play in the implementation of the UN’s CRPD?
The team from PU were taken around Munich to see how the Germans have implemented some of these ideas in including the people with disabilities into the society. The group visited schools and institutions for people with disabilities around Munich where they also took part in some of classes and activities.
The PU team were also treated to an introduction to the Bayern culture which included concerts, dinners, and a visit to the October Fest.
The PU team included: Prof. Dr. Mohamed S. Rajab, Vice Chancellor and Prof. Dr. Gabriel Katana. They were hosted by the Diversity Sociology Department at the TUM but they also got to meet with the TUM President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Wolfgang A. Herrmann and the International Office where they discussed the relevance of the MoU between PU and TUM to other departments at the Uni.
Considering the PU would like to expand internationally, this was definitely a great opportunity for them to network and form new partnerships.
„Lipitalo, hupishwa.“ – Things don‘t just happen by accidents! (Kiswahili Wisdom).