The Niko Fiti Campaign is a flagship CSR initiative of Kenya Reinsurance Corporation. It has touched and transformed the lives of over 8,500 persons with disability (PWD). They have benefited through receipt of assistive and mobility devices since inception in 2011.
The campaign is informed by statistics developed by The National disability survey covering the number of PWDs and their distribution countrywide, the demographic, Socio-Economic & socio-cultural Characteristics of PWDs, the nature, types and causes of disability in the country, the gender specific problems faced by PWDs, the coping mechanism and needs of people with disability and the nature of services and rehabilitation programs of PWDs by type.
The campaign is now recognized nationally for promotion of mobility and accessibility of PWDs faced by mobility impairments through provision of assistive and mobility devices. By so doing, the beneficiaries can now engage in daily community, social and nation building activities. The campaign also aims at destigmatizing disability in the Kenyan society. Over the years the campaign, through a series of caravans, has traversed the whole country (Mount Kenya, Upper Eastern, Rift Valley, Nyanza, Western, Lower Easter and Coast regions) donating various assistive devices and educating the public on the importance of accepting persons with disability.
Campaign Objectives
Some of the campaign objectives include:
• Provision of mobility & assistive devices as well as Mobile Vending Units to PWDs in order to improve the quality of life of PWDs so that they can engage in daily nation building activities.
• To create awareness and drive consideration towards the campaign in order to show that Kenya Re is a socially responsible corporate.
• To increase support and participation towards the project.
• To lift stigma towards persons with disability.
• Increasing the numbers of PWDs on the national register
• Creation of dialogue around disability in order to end stigma
• Championing economic empowerment of PWDs
Campaign Partnerships
The Corporation has previously partnered with the Association for Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK) to aid in identification, assessment of persons with disability through their nationwide distribution network and fabrication of the devices in their workshops in major towns in Kenya. APDK was also charged with the financial skills trainings among all beneficiary PWDs as well as follow-up trainings to support all business start-ups resulting from the Niko Fiti donations.
Media Partnerships
The campaign has previously partnered with several media organizations that include Standard Group, Royal Media Services and Nation Media Group. The media partnership helped the campaign reach a wider audience while giving the initiative and Kenya Re good publicity across board.
Milestones and timelines of Niko Fiti CSR initiative
YEAR -NIKO FITI ACTIVITIES
2011 - Launch of Niko Fiti CSR initiative on November 3rd, 2011
2013 - Caravan visited the counties of Muranga, Embu, Nyeri, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu, Machakos, Voi and Mombasa.
- Niko Fiti Bags Best Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign of the Year 2013 Award during the PRSK Gala Awards
2014 - The Caravans traversed Kisii, Kisumu, Busia, Muranga, Embu, Kerugoya, Mikinduri and Isiolo regions.
- Niko Fiti bags Campaign of the Year 2014 award held on 11th March 2014 at the Malaika Tribute Awards as well as the Corporate Leadership Award at the Annual Disability Rights and Advocacy Awards (ADARA) held on 31st July 2014
2015 - Empowered PWDs by giving financial assistance through business start-ups. This involved provision of Mobile Vending Units as well as start-up stock to Persons with Disability who underwent financial management training in a move to enable them start up, run and grow their businesses.
2016 - Caravan traversed Eldoret and Kisumu regions
2017 - Traversed Nyamira, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Meru, Embu, Isiolo, and Transzoia regions.
- Partnered with the Ministry of Education to pioneer an education integration program that sought to ensure brilliant PWDs got enrolled in national schools such as Lenana School and Moi Girls-Isinya. The program involved improvements of the existing school infrastructure to ensure they are conducive to students with disability.
2018 - Remodeled Shining Star Children’s Centre in Mukuru kwa Njenga and provided sanitary kitchen, good beds, toys for the kids.
- Partnered with the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) to adopt, brand and equip the newly built assessment centre. This would in turn create the Niko Fiti legacy project, would serve to rehabilitate persons living with disability from Kenya and beyond.
2019 - Caravan traversed Machakos, Kitui, Baringo and Nakuru counties to distribute assistive and mobility devices.
- Officially handed handover the Moi girls and Lenana School Niko Fiti PWD education integration program. Both schools were aided with some modification of their existing facilities making them accessible to students with disability.
