Background

Marianne Center in Kenya is a foundation that was registered on 4 April 2008. Our centre focuses on people with intellectual disabilities aged 15 to 50. In January 2010, the Marianne Center officially opened its doors to train young people with intellectual disabilities. These young people come from Nairobi and the surrounding area.
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One of the biggest shortcomings of the current education system in Kenya is that people with intellectual disabilities are too old to stay in primary school from the age of 15, but cannot move on to secondary education because of their cognitive level. After primary school, there is therefore no other school for older young people with disabilities to attend, and they are forced to stay at home, with all the consequences that entails. Our training centre offers this group, whether they come from primary school or from their parental home, a place where they can thrive. This is why our training centre, the Marianne Center, was founded.
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People with disabilities in Kenya
‍According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15% of the Kenyan population has a disability; 60–70% of these are intellectual disabilities. That is more than 2.9 million people. Because of poverty, malnutrition and a lack of medical care, the risk of brain disorders is high. Sadly, people with disabilities are often stigmatised — sometimes seen as a ‘curse’ or ‘witchcraft’ — and are therefore hidden or mistreated. In addition, young people with intellectual disabilities fall outside the school system after the age of 15. They are too old for primary school but cannot progress further. The Marianne Center offers precisely this group a new chance.

‍The chance of a better future
‍The Marianne Center Foundation in Kenya was founded in 2008 and officially started training young people with intellectual disabilities (aged 15–50) in Nairobi in 2010. The centre gives these young people a place to develop skills and brings hope to them and their families. The centre, named after the daughter of the secretary of the Dutch foundation, strives for a promising future for everyone with an intellectual disability in Kenya.
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With your support, we can continue to invest in education, work and independence for young people with intellectual disabilities in Nairobi.