Vincent Ogutu spent his Professional Fellowship at The Institute for Disability Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi.

“My capacity as a leader has been developed so I will be able to coach and mentor other people. So it is not only about me but we can build an institution that cascades learning across borders.”

Vincent Ogutu is the Head of Programmes at Cheshire Disability Services Kenya, and directly oversees diverse projects that advance inclusive livelihoods, youth empowerment, education, health, and rehabilitation. He also designs and implements programs that helps youth with disabilities prepare for independence and become leaders in lobbying & advocacy.

Vincent has an outstanding capacity to engage individuals with disabilities fully in development programs, having both lived experience with disability and a stellar record of professional impact. He took part in the PFP-IDE Fellowship in Spring 2018 and was hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi Institute on Disability Studies (Mississippi UCEDD). At that time, he was a program manager leading inclusive livelihood initiatives in Kenya, but he has since expanded his portfolio to include oversight and evaluation of all of his organization’s programs.

The lessons Vincent gained from his Fellowship have not only deepened his expertise but also helped him make his own projects more inclusive of individuals with intellectual disabilities. As Head of Programmes at CDSK, Vincent has launched major projects with funding from prominent international donors, most notably the Social Innovation Lab Project, which provides basic business skills trainings, self-advocacy resources, and caregiver guidance for youth with intellectual disabilities.

Vincent is also a highly qualified inclusive development practitioner and an associate member of the Kenya Institute of Management. He is also a trainer / facilitator with cross-border experience in community-based rehabilitation and has mentored children with hearing impairments.