MYTHS ABOUT PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND POVERTY IN KENYA

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One sunny day a community member made me aware of a poor old woman who qualified to be enrolled in the Kenyan government older persons cash transfer programme in my Sub-county. Somehow, we seemed to miss her every single targeting, something about her not having money to bribe. So with a few committee members I visited her, largely unprepared for the suffering I was about encounter. You see as a government social worker I saw poverty at its worst, the below a dollar a day kind. The sort of poverty that should not exist in a caring world but does in this dystopia we live in. Her small dilapidated mud hut stood on a ridge surrounded by extensive tea and pineapple plantations, seemingly out of place. The muddy walls were falling apart, you could see right through her house, across the fertile ridges of Central Kenya. Poverty in the midst of plenty. The rusty iron sheet roofing had large holes in it, I bet it did a poor job of keeping the rain out. She had a look of resignation and exhaustion on her tired milky tea brown face. Like she had given up, she did not speak a lot, but when she did it was with a lot of sadness in her eyes. She had a relative living nearby, a grandson but he was an alcoholic. I personally know what alcoholism can do to a family, let's just say there are men related to me by blood that I saw, interacted with but never knew them. I could tell loneliness and misery were her constant companions. I filled the form to aid in her enrolment but even then I knew it would take a couple of months to just to receive confirmation of her enrolment. As I stood there feeling a bit lost and sad at her predicament, someone in my team, a religious leader said.

"This woman is cursed, no wonder she is suffering."

I was shocked. There was no empathy or sympathy in his voice. He seemed unmoved by her suffering.

"Probably, she ate the dowry of her children yet hers was never paid." He finished off indifferently like that was a good enough reason for her to endure such suffering. But he is not the only one, there are myths and perceptions about poverty and disabilities that are deeply entrenched in most communities in Kenya, some are discussed below.

1. Non-payment of dowry: - This is associated with poverty, disabilities, poor mental and physical health. Dowry is the payment of money and or livestock and property by the groom's family to the bride's. In African communities there are rules that govern the payment of dowry. For instance, a younger brother was not allowed to pay dowry for his wife if his older brother has never paid or completed dowry payments to his in laws. Some of these rules persist to this day, parents are not allowed to ask for dowry where none was paid when they married. However, marriage is allowed regardless of the pending dowry. Accepting dowry where none was paid is associated with calamity on the accepting family. 
2. Getting married to someone your parents were against: - Going against your parents wishes may result in the couple having children with severe disabilities.
3. Abortion: - A few years ago someone advised me against enrolling a woman who had a child with severe disabilities into the government social welfare program.

            "Why?" I asked seeing the child and family met all the requirements. The child was not only                    severely disabled but the family were hardly getting by.

     "Do you know why her child is disabled?" my informer asked. "That woman has aborted so many babies, no wonder she gave birth to a child like that.

     My informer was also indifferent, like it was okay for them to starve to death or for the child to suffer just because the mother had done something they perceived as evil. I was dumbstruck, it hit me hard, I wish my department had prepared me for the attitudes I was going to encounter in the field and how to counter them. Abortion is also blamed for miscarriages and infertility. 

4. Cursed by the supernatural:- This belongs to the school of thought that there must be a reason for suffering. They insist the parents of persons with severe disabilities must have done something to deserve their fate.

5. Persons with disabilities have needs that rapist fulfil: -  As a government social worker, I dealt with so many cases of girls and young women with severe mental handicaps that had been raped and impregnated. I happened to be discussing these issues with a co-worker, a high ranking individual. They said in a matter of fact kind of way. 

      "These girls have sexual needs that need to be fulfilled." 

    They were not joking, they and many others hold beliefs that rapists are doing these vulnerable girls and women who cannot consent a favour.

6. People should be left to suffer the consequences of their actions: - This school of thought suggests that old age poverty is as a result of poor planning when younger. As choices have consequences they should be allowed to suffer.

7. Witchcraft: - This is widely attributed to disease, poverty and suffering for the witch doctor as well as their victims. Sadly, none is shown mercy, suspected witchdoctors are brutally murdered (burnt alive, stoned and machete attacks). Their supposed victims are left to suffer as well, as the community members believe they could be affected by the witchcraft if they came close to the bewitched. 

       These myths and perceptions are not based on any evidence, they are based on misinformation which is passing down from one generation to the next. I know this, because when I was a young girl I knew some women who could not conceive and society around duly informed me it was because they had aborted a pregnancy at some point. I carried this belief until it was corrected in school. We also know they are not based on any evidence because society comprises of imperfect people and if there were any such punishments, most people would be cursed. Sadly, these myths and perceptions have serious and and often devastating consequences.

•       It results in the unnecessary suffering of individuals who require urgent help as their predicament is blamed on a 'curse.' People with severe mental illness may not get the appropriate help if their conditions are blamed on witchcraft and curses. Those living in abject poverty face prolonged suffering over basic needs like food and water, yet with a little help they would not have to suffer unnecessarily.
•       It leads to apathy and indifference. If a section of society believes some people are suffering because of their own actions, at times they become unfeeling spectators in a sort of real life snuff horror films as other humans suffer. It creates fear in people who would ordinarily help, as they are scared of inheriting the curses. Also, as humans we are less likely to help if we are convinced they are the cause of their own suffering. Sadly, they create apathy in that we are okay in watching people suffer.
•       Its leads to stigma and social isolation for people in desperate need for support. The caregivers I saw were broken and alone, shunned by society for something that was beyond them  
•       It blames victims for problems that are beyond them like poverty and disabilities.  
•       It leads to misinformation. That old lady was not poor through her own fault. She had worked hard throughout her lifetime as a farmer alongside raising her children. She did no mismanage her money or accept dowry wrongly. There were zero structures by society to safeguard her retirement. The problem with these myths and perceptions is that they blame the victim, glory in their suffering while ignoring the real causes of their plight.  

I would think in a deeply religious community, the plight of persons who are severely disabled and persons living in poverty would be shared a concern. It seems however, superstitious beliefs supersede anything the Bible says. But Jesus said 

"Whosever you do to the least of my brothers that you also do unto me."

Also the book of James says.

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the father is this, to visit the orphans and the widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

And no point did Jesus refer to curses as the main cause of suffering and neither should we. Change in community perception would result in greater acceptance of persons with disabilities in their families.  These judgmental and holier than thou attitudes results in the mistreatment of persons with disabilities, a lot of sensitization is needed so that community members become more accepting towards persons with disabilities and those living in abject poverty. And there is a role for everyone from politicians, teachers, religious leaders and community members.