KazukoKumonGraduated from Hokkaido University School of Medicine. After working for six years as a pediatrician, she started medical humanitarian assistance in 2001 in Sierra Leone and Cambodia, and Kenya in 2002. In 2015, she established The Garden of Siloam (“Siloam” is the name of the pool where Jesus healed a man who was blind) in a suburb of Nairobi.Above: A mother and a child enjoy horse riding while on an excursion organized by the Garden.Below: The children smile with delight in a watermelon eating contest. Recognizing the struggles many families face in raising children with disabilities, The Garden of Siloam cares for the families as well.they did not rely simply on classic therapy options, such as “cerebral palsy massage,” but instead “observe and choose the care required by the children and their families.” The staff, unfamiliar with such training, were initially at a loss. But looking back after two years of working at the Garden since it was founded, staff member Basilisa says, “I have finally realized that the way we do things here is far more effective.” Kumon reflects, “By receiving appropriate treatment and education early, many of the children are now able to utilize the potential they were born with. I think the one thing that I can do as someone who has come from Japan is to use tangible empirical images to convey to Kenyans what the children are actually capable of and what kind of society it is possible to create.” In Japan, families of children with disabilities came together in solidarity to secure greater rights to receive welfare and education. “As there are still now many families who are expending all their energy simply looking after their children with disabilities, I think the first important step is to create places like The Garden of Siloam so that there can be a place where time can be shared together without stress. I also hope that the support we offer here can help to empower the families, so that they, too, can join together and advocate for more social benefits.” Today, as she carries on her everyday efforts to encourage Kenya’s welfare for children with special needs to take root, Kumon welcomes the children and their families to the Garden with a smile as broad and happy as the children’s. 25
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