Research Partner At Light for the World

Background

Light for the World is a global disability & development organization, working towards breaking down barriers to enrich society with its mission is to contribute to a world in which persons with disabilities fully exercise their rights as stipulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Persons with disabilities living in poverty are amongst the most excluded groups in society. They are at the center of our work and they drive the change.

• Light for the World engages in empowering persons with disabilities to take development in their own hands.
• Light for the World strives to overcome all barriers in society and create access for people with disabilities.
• Light for the World is committed to improving eye health and promoting inclusive education, community-based rehabilitation, disability rights, livelihood, and disability inclusion.
• Light for the World pays specific attention to women with disabilities, children with disabilities and more excluded impairment groups within the disability community.

Light for the World in Kenya

In Kenya, Light for the World’s InBusiness (Inclusive Business) program is aimed at supporting people with disabilities start a stable micro-enterprise and thereby earn their own income to support their family and thus actively participate in society.

The project supports entrepreneurs with disabilities who struggle to keep their business running and entrepreneurs with disabilities wanting to start a business. Both groups need guidance on how they can develop their ideas into a viable business.

EmployAble is our Business project focuses in building employability capacities among youth with and without disabilities in universities, it also aims to identify barriers of inclusion for more students with disabilities in core courses in the universities piloted and developed proposed action plans to alleviate those barriers.

Light for the World Kenya’s MEAL Department

The department was created in September 2019. Started with a hiring of MEAL officer who by then had huge roles of putting up structures in place and same time implementing the ongoing MEAL activities. To date, the organization has grown with new projects coming in, all with new MEAL requirements which continued to add more roles to the current MEAL staff. Due to this, Light for the World seeks to engage a MEAL consultant on part time basis.

Description of the required service provision

The research partner will conduct a research to determine the efficacy of the three models that were being tested. The proposed research design aims to compare what worked well and did not work well in the inclusive business models tried and tested by the three consortium partners. This research will also provide recommendations on how the models could be improved, as well as the impact/outcomes of each model. The learnings and evidence generated will be used to adapt the design of the InBusiness project during a potential scale up phase.

The consultant will be required to present:

1. An inception report of the survey, updating their proposal following validation of the methodology with the consortium partners
2. Recruit and onboard data collectors (with LFTW support and approval: if agreed LFTW can recruit and onboard reducing the budget available to the consultant for the research)
3. A focus group discussion design, surveys for the key informant interviews, and relevant data collections tools
4. A detailed report of the research with an agreed format which covers findings:
   • Desk review summary of the recommended documents
   • The status on business opportunities for persons with and without disabilities in the country
   • The challenges persons with disabilities face in setting up, running, and owning businesses in Kenya
   • An analysis of current interest and commitment for PPIs and individual customers in working with people with disabilities and their families in businesses
   • The support or lack of local labour laws in providing conducive environment for persons with disabilities owning and running businesses
   • Detailed proven information on what worked and what did not work well from the three models implemented by the consortium partners and any other unexpected outcomes achieved because of the models
   • Recommendations in terms of best practices in supporting persons with disabilities own and run businesses
5. A summary power point of findings for dissemination

For more information on the research, please read this document.