For many children living with disabilities, a simple day in the sun is often out of reach due to stigma and inaccessibility. However, the Sunshine Rally, an annual event held for over four decades, continues to offer these children a rare and joyous experience of play, community, and celebration.
This year’s Sunshine Rally took place at the ASK Jamhuri Showground, drawing over 8,500 children with disabilities from across Kenya. The event, coordinated by Peter Kanake, began in 1979 through the vision of Rotarian Manu Chandaria and became an official Rotary project in 1981. Its core mission is to give children living with disabilities a day to be seen, included, and appreciated.
Rotary Clubs from across District 9212 work year-round to make the event possible, collaborating with local authorities and communities to organize transportation, meals, and activities for the children. Kanake emphasized that for many children, this event is the farthest they’ve ever traveled, offering them a deeply memorable experience.
The support for these children doesn’t end with the rally. Rotary continues to contribute through long-term projects in health, education, and access to clean water—aligned with its global areas of focus.
This year, the rally was made more inclusive by adapting activities to cater to a wide range of disabilities. Traditional entertainment like music and dance was complemented with activities for children with sensory and cognitive needs. Through a partnership with Building a World of Play (BAWOP) and organizations like CHAI, Kenya Society for the Blind, and Speech and Language Therapists, children engaged in diverse activities such as arts and crafts, sensory play, puppetry, and adapted physical games.
Mercy Wanza of CHAI noted that this approach promotes year-round intervention models and inclusion, aiming to meet the unique developmental needs of each child. Although logistical constraints limit expansion, the Sunshine Rally remains a powerful symbol of hope and community for the over 3.4 million children living with disabilities in Kenya.
