BOX 6-2Two Case Studies

Case Study #2: Man with a Disability Living with a Spouse, Korogocho

The subject is a 90-year-old man whose leg was crippled by injuries he sustained following a bicycle accident five years ago. Although he lives with his wife, he seems totally helpless, with no one to provide any assistance since his wife has a mental illness. He claims to have been among the first people to settle in this slum almost 30 years ago. Compared with other people in his neighborhood, his house seems to be in a very poor state, with the roof leaking almost from all sides. The house gets flooded with water even with the lightest rainfall. His other health problem is insomnia.

His life took a complete turn after he was involved in the bicycle accident. He seems very lonely and rarely gets any visitors who are interested in his situation. He was very happy to talk to the interviewer and broke down in tears on several occasions during the interview, especially when recalling some of the hardships he has had to undergo due to his disability. He and his wife mainly depend on well-wishers for their survival.

Case Study #3: Woman with a Disability and Living with Grandchildren, Viwandani

The subject is a 59-year-old widow living with her younger sister, who is ill, and seven of her orphaned grandchildren in the same house-

hold. She has been married twice and came to live in Nairobi from the rural areas after separating from her first husband in 1989. Her only surviving child lives in the same community with his family. She worked as a domestic servant after moving to Nairobi and stopped only after she developed difficulty walking due to pain in her legs. The pain has limited her movements, including performing daily activities such as bathing and using the toilet, which she does with great difficulty and requires assistance during days when the pain is most severe. She cannot afford to follow up on treatment for her legs and the little money she gets goes toward buying food for her household.

For her livelihood, she sells water on behalf of someone and is paid in kind. She also doubles up as an herbalist selling traditional medicine meant to treat eye infections. The grandchildren also contribute to the household income, especially during school vacation, when they do manual labor, including working as domestic servants. Her household also relies on handouts from well-wishers in the community. The interviewer found her contemplating her next move because of a notice issued to her and her neighbors to vacate their dwelling units, which were to be demolished due to being too close to electricity main grid lines.

Her wish is to start up a business selling vegetables outside her doorstep and joining a welfare group that would advance her credit to expand on the business. She longs for the day when her grandchildren have finished school and will be able to take care of her.