Peterson's story: “They saw what I could do”

Peterson was a student at the Marianne Center from 2010 to 2016 and graduated in 2016. He is now 32 years old.

Peterson has an intellectual disability: he speaks slowly, has a poor memory and has shortened limbs on his left side, which makes walking and working difficult. His school years were hard because he was so slow and found it difficult to remember things. He comes from a supportive family: his parents supported him and cared for him as best they could. And they still do.

When Peterson came to the MC in 2010, many school subjects were difficult for him. But the team discovered that he was very good at working with beads: he makes beautiful things, despite the limitations in his left arm. Alongside his talent for beading, they also taught him how to handle money and keep accounts. He was very motivated to learn this, because he wanted to earn his living from it.

His parents' support is also very important to Peterson. Not only did they help him keep practising his beadwork at home during the holidays so that he would not fall behind, but they also continued to help him after he graduated in 2016.

For example, they set up a small business for their son, Maina Beads and Design Labs, where he works every day on beautiful products such as bags, rugs and photo frames. He sells them at various markets in Nairobi, as well as to churches and other institutions. He is also working on expanding his market beyond Nairobi.

Peterson is officially ‘recognised’ as disabled by the government, which gives him certain advantages: he can get help more quickly for certain matters, and he pays less tax. His parents keep an eye on whether everything is going well, including the finances. Peterson himself says this is a challenge, but that so far things are going well. Peterson still visits the Marianne Center regularly, where he tells the students about his life.

Peterson's story is a great example of how people with intellectual disabilities benefit from the training at the Marianne Center. It is wonderful how he has managed to start and run a business like this. We are incredibly proud of Peterson!