Education mural for people with intellectual disabilities, Kiambu, Kenya. Photo by Judith Klein/Open Society Institute.
As the Open Society Mental Health Initiative expands its work to Kenya this year, I knew I would have much to learn about context, having spent the last 15 years focused on Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (CEE and fSU). But two things really struck me while I was meeting Kenyan organizations recently. The first is that while many things are relative, others seem to be universal. Sadly, prejudice and discrimination against people with mental disabilities is universal. The second thing that struck me is how much advocates in what we at OSI call “the traditional region” (the CEE and fSU countries where Soros foundations first formed) could and should learn from advocates in Africa.
Too often, the “training” and the “teaching” and the “instruction” generally seem to come from Europe or the developed West, directed at Africa. In terms of real grassroots advocacy, which is essential to producing positive change in my field, I can say that this is a big mistake. Learning should always be a two-way process, and there are many cases in which lessons from Kenya are not only highly relevant, but would be very important for European advocates.
The best example I have of this is the level of parent advocacy and self advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities in Kenya, versus the level of such advocacy in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. For parents’ organizations of people with intellectual disabilities, one of the biggest taboo subjects is sexual education. Throughout CEE and the fSU, many (if not most) parent organizations completely avoid the subject and carry on as if their children (who are adults but commonly called “children” their entire lives) are not sexual beings because they have intellectual disabilities. This is clearly not the case, and avoiding the issue actually puts people with intellectual disabilities at great risk—it is not OK to keep adults in the dark about what is safe and what isn’t, and about what to do if they are being abused.
In Kenya, one parents’ organization has, for the past few years, been doing impressive and excellent work in sexual education and awareness raising for both people with intellectual disabilities and their parents. This is both very brave and highly controversial in Kenya because of the power of religious leaders who uphold the “abstain and be faithful” philosophy. However, the organization proceeds with the work because while clearly sexual education is very important for all self advocates, in Kenya it is critical because of the prevalence of HIV and the vulnerability of people with intellectual disabilities. In addition to organizing numerous training events on this topic, the organization also produced progressive materials on sexual education and trained self advocates on the issues.
When I met with self advocates in Kiambu close to Nairobi, I was really impressed to hear that each person is aware of his/her HIV status and knows what to do and what not to do with regard to sexual matters. These issues were openly discussed, which is key to ensuring that people with intellectual disabilities can be as self determined as they can, and make as many of their own choices as they can—especially such personal choices.
Having been inspired by what I saw in Kenya, I hope to spread that inspiration among parent groups in my “traditional region”—where people have been far too traditional in the way they treat adults with intellectual disabilities—so that advocates can rise to the level of their Kenyan counterparts.
Groupon remorse? There are sites for that.(Business)
The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA) July 31, 2011 Byline: Candice Choi; The Associated Press NEW YORK -- Wish you hadn't bought that daily deal for a hot-air balloon ride? You're not alone.
A growing number of shoppers with buyer's remorse are tapping an emerging resale market to unload the coupons they no longer want from sites like Groupon and LivingSocial.
For the uninitiated, daily-deal sites offer limited-time discounts of as much as 90 percent on a variety of products and services. But the elements that make the deals so enticing -- the steep price cuts, limited supply and countdown clock -- can also be a potent mix for impulse purchases.
The pitfalls are apparent in a key statistic: An estimated 20 percent of the discounts are never redeemed.
That's where sites like DealsGoRound.com come into play. There's no charge for sellers to list an unwanted coupon, but the site takes a 10 percent cut if it's sold. At LifeSta.com, another resale site for daily deals, sellers pay 99 cents plus 8 percent of the sale price. Buyers don't pay any fees on either site.
"People buy deals with good intentions," says Kris Petersen, founder and CEO of DealsGoRound. "But then the planning doesn't come together or they run out of time to use the deal." The emergence of the resale market is a natural outgrowth of the explosive popularity of daily-deal sites in the past year.
Although Groupon and LivingSocial are by far the biggest and best-known players in the space, there are an estimated 400 similar sites, according Daily Deal Media, which tracks the industry. (The Seattle Times has its own program, called dealdigger.) And this year, consumers are expected to spend an estimated $1.9 billion snapping up bargains, about double the amount spent last year. this web site groupon denver
The deals are usually tilted toward a higher-end clientele, with offers including discounts on restaurant vouchers, wine-tasting tours and shiatsu massages. But circumstances sometimes can prevent coupon redemption.
After paying $40 for a month of unlimited yoga classes on Groupon, Michael Roman found a more convenient venue for practicing his downward dog. So he decided to list the coupon on DealsGoRound.
He listed the deal for the same amount he paid, with plans to lower the price if it didn't sell quickly. But the coupon sold within hours.
"The immediacy is what surprised me," says Roman, a 47-year-old business analyst from Chicago.
If a coupon is popular enough, sellers may even be able to fetch a small profit. Because daily-deal sites offer such steep discounts, sellers can list their coupons for more than they paid and still offer a bargain. For buyers, resale sites offer access to deals no longer available.
In other cases, sellers may have to ask for less than they paid. This usually happens when a coupon's expiration date is fast approaching or if the retailer or service is too obscure.
The worst case is that sellers never find a buyer. DealsGoRound says that happens with about a third of its listings.
It's worth noting that, technically, Groupon's terms of use prohibit the unauthorized resale of its coupons. The fine print on LivingSocial's site also prohibits the sale of its vouchers.
But DealsGoRound, which is based in the same building as Groupon's Chicago headquarters, notes it has operated for more than a year without hearing concerns from any daily-deal sites. It says it would honor a specific site's request to stop listing coupons.
The sites both have listings in more than 100 cities, shadowing the markets where Groupon and LivingSocial do most their business. DealsGoRound recently listed about 300 deals in Chicago; LifeSta listed about 500 in San Francisco.
Groupon notes it doesn't encourage the use of a resale site because it can't guarantee the authenticity of the coupons sold on them. But DealsGoRound and LifeSta both guarantee buyers refunds if there are any problems with the coupons.
The sites require sellers to electronically submit coupon vouchers before they're listed. go to web site groupon denver
Like eBay, they work as intermediaries so transactions are kept seamless.
"There's no meeting someone at Starbucks, hoping they'll show up," said Petersen of DealsGoRound.
Another site, CoupRecoup.com, works more like Craigslist and lets buyers contact sellers directly. CoupRecoup doesn't offer any guarantees, but sellers may like it because there are no fees.
Before turning to the resale market, however, check whether it's possible to get a refund directly from the daily-deal site.
LivingSocial gives shoppers five days to return deals for any reason.
Groupon doesn't offer such leeway. But the site says its customer-service team works on a case-by-case basis to give buyers refunds or site credit if they can't redeem a coupon for a legitimate reason.
An example might be if a customer couldn't attend a concert because of a medical emergency.
There's another little-known clause worth nothing. To comply with federal and state laws, Groupon and LivingSocial say their coupons only lose their promotional value after the expiration date. The coupons are still good for however much the buyer paid for it.
So if a shopper pays $20 for a $40 restaurant voucher, the voucher is still good for $20 even after the expiration date.
If customers run into problems, the sites will work with merchants to ensure the coupons are honored.
There are cases where buyers will simply be out of luck, however. For example, if you buy a deal for an event like a concert and it passes, there's no way to get your money back.
Stay Informed
it's nice to read some positive news from Kenya/Africa as a change and that we in Kenya also have something to teach the world.
Enricah Dulo
Advocate of the High Court of Kenya
LLM International Human Rights Law, Uni. of Essex
It is great to hear that Kenya and many other developing countries have lessons and good practices that can be replicated...it is highest time the developed nations appreciated this fact:learning and sustainable development is two-way...give and take.And as we learn from my great country... think of others...especially those with mental health problems with no-one to advocate for them for reasons they themselves did not create,but society...and they keep suffering SGBV,including vulnerability to getting infected with the virus...Ever thought of People with Disabilities in the context of HIV&AIDS?especially women and children?
In the UK there has been resistance from parents and professionals to providing sex and relationships education (SRE) to young people with learning disabilities. Parents have been frightened to open up the issue and professionals have been reluctant to challenge parents.
However, in the last few years there have been significant developments and increasing recognition of the rights of young people with learning disabilities to be recognised as sexual beings.
There is now demand from parents and carers, schools, colleges, residential homes and specialist sexual health agencies for training, support and resources to enable this work to take place.
Resources are becoming available, much of it inspired by work on the ground. The challenge remains dissemination. Good work taking place in Kenya? Yes. And elsewhere. How do we get the content of it known about by those of us who are in a position to distribute the knowledge and resources?
Thanks to hear that our country has something
to be admired.
It is great to hear that Kenya and many other developing countries have lessons and good practices that can be replicated...it is highest time the developed nations appreciated this fact:learning and sustainable development is two-way...give and take.And as we learn from my great country... think of others...especially those with mental health problems with no-one to advocate for them for reasons they themselves did not create,but society...and they keep suffering SGBV,including vulnerability to getting infected with the virus...Ever thought of People with Disabilities in the context of HIV&AIDS?especially women and children?
Thank you Judith, that after visiting one of my 14 support groups in KAIH KIAMBU KENYA, you had something to share with the world this is great and God bless you. PWIDS whom you visited remembers you and willing you to come back.
Coordinator Kiambu
It would be extremely interesting to research the reasons for the contrast between the apparent vibrancy of parental advocacy in Kenya, and the widespread apathy in "the traditional region". The political conditions are not exactly easy in Kenya, either, and the general impression from political science is that civil society and its contribution to democratic consolidation have remained weak in the region (even while some associational forms are vivid and strong).