Habel Ouma

Perhaps it is because he is hard of hearing himself and understands some of the obstacles faced by persons with disability that Habel Ouma is such an outstanding advocate for them. As one of Sunrise School’s founders and as chairperson of Uwezo Network, the CBO that oversees Sunrise, Habel’s stated objectives are to provide educational opportunities and give hope to autistic shildren, to help make educational inclusion possible for more of them, and to make lives easier for their families and caregivers. 

Habel graduated with a Diploma & Bachelor of Arts in Theology.  He has a Certificate in Governance, Leadership and Election.  He also successfully completed the Uraia- International Budget Partnership-Kenya Budget Facilitator training and is a member of the National and Lake Region Budget Facilitators Forums.

Habel has a long history of teaching and mentoring deaf students in primary through high school to gain skills that will nurture their personal, academic and career development. He works with a deaf youth group to build members’ leadership skills and foster a strong and informed deaf community. 

 Habel advocates for and speaks up for persons with disability while serving in many capacities locally, nationally, and internationally.  He currently is chairman of Kakamega Deaf Association (KDA), Mumias/Matungu Disability Network CBO, and Educational Assessment Research Centre-Mumias (EARC-MUMIAS), as well as vice chairman of Kakamega County Disability Caucus. He is Board of Trustee National Vice Chairman of United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK) and a board member of Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network (EDAN) in partnership with World Council of Churches.  Habel serves on the board of directors of four primary/secondary schools as advisor on disability. He champions the rights of all persons with disabilities, working to amplify the voices of women and girls facing gender-based violence, lobbying for persons with disabilities to be included in policy-making and economic empowerment programs. 

Habel is a highly-respected advisor at county and national levels regarding the welfare and needs of persons with disabilities on topics including education, reproductive health, access to information, social protection and employment

Martin Nafukho

Martin Nafukho is an occupational therapist who has practiced for over thirty years in hospital and community settings.  He received his Diploma in OT from Kenya Medical Training College. During his career, Martin has served as medical rehabilitation coordinator, supervised international health professionals and students, trained trainers on a wide range of topics including community-based rehabilitation, communication disability and cerebral palsy.  Martin is currently employed as a member of the multidisciplinary team at Mumias Educational Assessment Centre (EARC), Kakamega county.  His core functions include providing timely intervention to children with disabilities, offering health education to the community to promote understanding of disability/change attitudes, and supporting children in their pursuit of their inherent potentials.  Martin is chairperson of Uwezo’s Health Committee. 

Wanda Salter

Wanda Salter, a memeber of Sunrise’s Education Committee, first traveled to Kenya in 2016 when her family joined in a service trip with the Brattleboro (Vermont) Interfaith Youth Group.  Later that year, Wanda returned to Kenya to volunteer with Yellow House Health and Outreach in Kisumu; it was during that visit that Wanda first learned of the plight of many children with special needs in Kenya who are neglected or even abused due to cultural attitudes about disabilities.  A speech-language pathologist in the Vermont school system, Wanda brought her concerns back home with her and shared them with just about anyone who was willing to listen.  Wanda has returned to Kenya over a dozen times since 2016, and, with the support of numerous individuals, churches, and civic organizations, she and her Kenyan colleagues recently founded Sunrise School, one of the country’s only schools specifically for autistic children.  While aiming to change each learner’s life for the better, Sunrise’s wider objective is to help Kenyans with disabilities become accepted and appreciated as contributing members of society.  

Wanda holds a BA in anthropology from McGill University, an MA in TESL from St. Michael's College, and an MS in Communication Science and Disorders from the University of Vermont.  As a teacher, speech-language pathologist and consultant, she has practiced in educational and medical settings throughout New England.  Wanda's areas of specialization include augmentative communication and specific learning disabilities.  With her co-author, Carolyn Robertson, Wanda has published numerous assessments and instructional programs for children with dyslexia.  

Douglas Aswani

Douglas Aswani, a member of Sunrise’s Education Committee, has dedicated his working years to educating children with disabilities.  He holds a diploma in special needs with a bias in mental disabilities and a Bachelor’s of Education in Special Needs (mental disabilities). Douglas’ specialization is in functional assessment of learners.