For 22‑year‑old Josephine Njeri, daily life in Kithyoko was defined by narrow dirt roads and homes built without wheelchair ramps. Though bright and outspoken, she often felt sidelined when village affairs were discussed under the old acacia tree outside the chief’s hut. “People spoke over me,” Josephine recalls. “They didn’t see that I had ideas.”

In January 2025, DEAN rolled out a pilot Civic Engagement and Financial Literacy workshop right in the heart of Kithyoko Village. Over six weeks, cohorts of youth—half of whom lived with disabilities—met each Saturday in the community hall. DEAN facilitators taught them how to draft simple budgets, run transparent savings schemes, map local power structures, and conduct inclusive public forums. Crucially, every session was made accessible: sign‑language interpreters were on hand, and the hall’s entrance was fitted with a portable ramp.

During the module on “Mobilizing Community Savings,” Josephine discovered the concept of a village savings and loan association (VSLA). With guidance from DEAN’s trainers, she drafted bylaws, set up a lockable metal box for members’ shares, and proposed an initial group of 25 participants—women and men, with and without disabilities. On the final Saturday, she presented her VSLA plan to the workshop, earning a standing ovation for her clarity and vision.

By February 2025, the “Kithyoko Unity Savings Group” was up and running. Josephine served as treasurer, keeping meticulous records in a large notebook—each column labeled in both English and simple Kiswahili symbols so everyone could follow. Within six weeks, the group had pooled over KSh 45,000 (≈ USD 400). Members took small, low‑interest loans to buy solar lamps, repair home roofs, and start micro‑gardens. Importantly, DEAN’s financial‑literacy toolkit included a module on gender and disability equity, ensuring decisions were made jointly and respectfully.

Encouraged by her success with the VSLA, Josephine decided to run for one of the two youth seats on Kithyoko’s Nyumba Kumi village council. In the March 10 elections, her platform—“Every Voice Counts”—promised monthly inclusive forums where persons with disabilities could share concerns directly with local leaders. On March 15, ballots were counted: Josephine topped the youth candidates, becoming the first council member in Kithyoko with a visible disability.

Now in office, she holds “Listening Saturdays,” modeling public‑speaking techniques she learned from DEAN and ensuring all agenda materials are delivered in large‑print and audio formats. She’s already advocated successfully for widening the village dispensary door and installing tactile signage in the market stalls. The VSLA continues to flourish, and other villages in Machakos County have invited Josephine to share the DEAN‑backed model.

“DEAN gave me tools to manage money—and the courage to manage my own community,” Josephine reflects. “Leadership isn’t about standing taller than others; it’s about lifting everyone up.” Through her journey, DEAN’s holistic approach to civic participation and financial inclusion is creating a new generation of leaders who know that true accessibility means both bricks-and-mortar ramps and open doors in governance.