With One Arm and Endless Resolve: The Story of a Tailor Who Founded a Refugee-Led Initiative for People with Disabilities — Part 2
Part 2 — After losing an arm in the war and seeking refuge in Kenya, Eric Kimararungu faced numerous challenges in finding work due to his disability. Today, as a successful tailor and the founder of Pamoja Twaweza CBO, he advocates for a powerful message: inclusivity in humanitarian support and opportunities, emphasising that disability does not mean inability.
By Devyani Nighoskar with support from Kimararungu Cadeau Héritier and Mwara Namelok
This is part 2of a two-part series. Read Part I here
Part II: ‘Disability Does Not Mean Inability’ — Building A Community
“Pamoja Twaweza” translates to “Together We Can,” reflecting the organisation’s mission to support vulnerable refugees, host community youth, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), focusing on three critical areas: livelihood, mental health, and advocacy.
Pamoja Twaweza’s vision is clear and ambitious: to ensure that all marginalised and vulnerable persons with disabilities and youth in the refugee community have access to quality vocational training and, thereby, achieve self-reliance. The organisation’s mission is to identify and support these individuals, helping them become self-reliant through timely access to quality vocational skills and livelihood opportunities.
Advocacy efforts are focused on raising awareness about issues affecting youth and persons with disabilities, pushing for necessary interventions through strategic partnerships and networks. Additionally, the organisation addresses mental health by conducting community outreach and forming partnerships to increase mental health awareness and support. So far, the organisation has trained 30 people in sewing, provided English lessons to 20 individuals, and involved 25 participants in their digital livelihoods training program.
Eric’s tailoring business, which began in the shop where we are now seated, exemplifies the CBO’s impact. The shop provides employment and training to individuals with disabilities — including barbering, digital marketing, and language training — which are the expertise of various members who are part of it. This initiative is part of Pamoja Twaweza’s broader goal to start a tailoring company that employs many people with disabilities. Recently, the organisation received training on digital literacy and sewing from Pamoja Trust, an organisation funded by DRC.
However, running Pamoja Twaweza has been challenging. Due to a lack of understanding of the process, Eric first registered Pamoja Twaweza as a self-help group. Then, in 2021, they registered it as an RLO.
He feels that urban refugees outside of Nairobi are not recognised as they should be and face significant obstacles in obtaining licences and formal recognition. “Most of the humanitarian support with refugees is in the camps. Moreover, in the humanitarian space, there is minimal support and programmes for refugees with disabilities,” he adds.
The passage of a new Refugee Bill in 2022 brings hope for significant progress in recognising the rights of urban refugees. As part of the Protracted Displacement in Urban World (PDUW) Consortium, led by IIED and involving Samuel Hall, Nairobi’s participatory forums — organised by the Kenyan affiliate of Slum Dwellers International — have improved local coordination. These forums brought together urban stakeholders and refugee protection specialists, creating referral pathways for five key groups: national and city-level government, service providers, humanitarian organisations, refugee representatives, and host community leaders. The new refugee act has also enabled business registration for urban refugees. However, challenges remain, particularly with documentation and awareness of rights, including the ability to register businesses in their own names and access the broader labour market.
Securing funding also remains a constant struggle, with the organisations, including Pamoja facing discrimination and bureaucratic hurdles, particularly in the grant application process.
Eric notes that they often need feedback on their rejected grant applications, which adds to the difficulty.Eric shares that while they constantly apply for grants and write proposals, he feels the language is inaccessible. He does not understand why they never receive funding, but he thinks the questions must be more inclusive. He wants funders and donors to think about communities like his and make the process more inclusive. He wants people to know that ‘disability does not mean inability.’
This struggle reflects a broader issue faced by Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and Refugee-led Organisations (RLOs) like Pamoja Twaweza. These organisations play a vital role in connecting refugees with the wider community, facilitating services, and advocating for refugee rights. However, they are often excluded from decision-making processes, resulting in a lack of inclusivity at all levels. This exclusion is particularly concerning given that refugees are not a homogenous group; their diverse needs and experiences require tailored approaches. Samuel Hall’s work emphasises the importance of ensuring that RLOs have representation in all relevant decision-making bodies, allowing them to influence policies that directly impact refugees. Furthermore, promoting direct and sustainable funding for RLOs is essential to enhance their financial inclusion and long-term impact, regardless of their location. Addressing the challenges Eric highlights is key to supporting organisations like Pamjoa in effectively serving their communities.
“We need to focus on nurturing the abilities beyond the disability by funding capacity-building efforts for people with special needs and supporting and promoting their products,” says Kenya-based Disability Inclusion Expert, Eva Naputuni Nyoike.
So far, the only funding they have received is computers from the Youth Voices Community to support their digital livelihood training. The organisation’s future goals include obtaining grants from entities such as the UN to support and expand its operations. They also want to rent/buy a packed hall and space to run all the training under one roof. He wants an ample enough space that will have designated rooms for training and administrative offices.
His personal aspirations include expanding his tailoring business and providing a good education for his children — reuniting with who was a complex process altogether. “They are with me now in Kenya, but I don’t want them to be a tailor; I want them to do something more professional, like become an engineer or a doctor,” he says, reminiscing of a dream he too once held.
