Our work in Kenya
Kenya’s leading cause of sight loss is cataracts, while diseases such as trachoma also play a part. Our work in the country focuses on improving eye care and preventing eye disease.
When Sightsavers started working in Kenya in 1952, our focus was to eliminate avoidable blindness and provide rehabilitation for adults who were irreversibly blind.
Today, we’re continuing this work by improving local health services, training doctors and eye surgeons, and making sure eye care is available for everyone.
We’re also working to eliminate several neglected tropical diseases in Kenya: we distribute medication to help control the spread of blinding trachoma, and educate local communities about the importance of hygiene and cleanliness to prevent diseases spreading.
Finally, our inclusive education programmes in Kenya aim to make sure children with disabilities are able to go to school. We raise awareness in communities about disability rights, and train teachers so they have the specialist skills needed to teach children with disabilities.
At a glance
Total populationWhat we focus on
Key programmes
How we’re making a difference in Kenya
Raising awareness
Our Super School of 5 project, in northern Kenya, features superhero characters to encourage children to wash their hands and faces.
Learn about the project
Disability rights
Collins Ombajo is a disability activist in Kenya. Here he shares his story and why he became involved in the Inclusive Futures initiative.
Read Collins’ story
Protecting sight
We train eye health workers and help to improve local healthcare in Kenya to make sure no one goes blind from avoidable causes.
About our work
Your donation could help to protect sight
DONATEMore from Kenya
Making assessments more accessible for children with disabilities
How an evaluation tool to assess children’s development has been adapted for young children with disabilities in Kenya.
Transforming education for every child in Kenya and Nigeria
In Nigeria and Kenya, two innovative education projects are enabling children with disabilities to reach their potential.
We are… training young people with disabilities
We’re working with partners in Kenya to give young people the skills and practical experience they need to begin a career in IT.
“I was the first trachoma surgeon in my region”
Meet Samson, a trachoma surgeon who’s saving people’s sight by performing pop-up operations and outreach in remote communities in Kenya.
Captain Clean: teaching children about hygiene through games
Schools in Kenya, Ethiopia and Guinea are using educational board games to teach children about the importance of good hygiene to help eliminate trachoma.
Sightsavers and partners launch US$6 million inclusion and labour rights programme
The Global Labor Program, part of the Inclusive Futures initiative, aims to increase the inclusion of people with disabilities and improve labour rights at two large Kenyan companies.
We save sight in 30 countries worldwide
Where we work