Episode
15 Kids to 100,000: How Kupenda Scales Disability Inclusion Through Others
- Podcast
- On The Ground
- Published
- Jul 14, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2196
- Processing state
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Summary
Transforming Attitudes and Building Communities: How Kupenda Promotes Disability Inclusion and Breaks Down Stigma Cynthia Bauer of Kupenda shares her journey from wildlife biology to leading a global movement against disability stigma. Learn how strategic partnerships, grassroots work, and smart measurement tools drive lasting change worldwide. In this episode: Cindy's story and Kupenda's origins How disability stigma is rooted in cultural beliefs Scaling impact through local partner organizations Key partnerships (World Hope International, World Relief) Faith and community leaders' role in reducing stigma Fundraising lessons: skip capital campaigns, build long-term relationships Measuring impact, from workshops to community ripple effects Lessons from unsuccessful initiatives like teacher training Integrating disability into development and social justice How philanthropic funding is allocated today Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro to Cynthia and Kupenda 00:21 - Cindy's story, discovering stigma in Kenya 01:36 - Kupenda's accidental founding 02:55 - From basic aid to root causes 03:34 - Faith and community leaders shifting beliefs 04:36 - What Kupenda does today; meaning of the name 05:57 - Engaging influencers for inclusion 06:27 - Scaling via local partnerships 07:37 - Early fundraising, hiring a development director 09:14 - Government/foundation funding & measurement 10:53 - Demonstrating impact through studies, stories 11:46 - Lessons from teacher-training setbacks 12:28 - Influencing others without direct implementation 13:03 - Building disability-inclusive development models 14:19 - Partnerships in Sierra Leone and Malawi 15:56 - Reach: working with 27+ organizations 16:51 - Storytelling and communicating impact 18:02 - Measuring stigma reduction, transformation 22…