Our Story

Hi, my name is Halima Lolo, and my story began in Ethiopia, a place rich in culture and tradition. Little did I know that moving to the US in 2001 would become a life-altering journey and change the course of my existence forever.  

In the year 2018, God brought a gift of unparalleled significance into my life – my son, Kenna. However, this gift came with a unique challenge that would demand the deepest reserves of strength and resilience within me. Kenna was born with a rare syndrome, a condition that thrust me into a world of uncertainty and fear. It would have been easy to succumb to the overwhelming weight of it all, but I chose a different path.

I consciously decided to transform adversity into opportunity, transforming it into something beautiful and meaningful. From this wellspring of determination and love, “Kenna for Kids with Disabilities” was born. My purpose crystallized in this endeavor – to serve the children of Ethiopia who, like my Kenna, faced the unique challenges of disabilities.

Kenna, my precious son, symbolizes resilience within a growing community of children with special needs. As a mother, I empathize deeply with these children and their parents’ challenges.

“Kenna,” a name with a deep cultural significance, means “a gift from God” in Afaan Oromo, the language of our homeland. I resolved to make the world see disabled children through this same divine lens – as cherished gifts from the universe, not as burdens or objects of pity.

My journey as a mother to a child with special needs, fraught with trials and tribulations, gave birth to an organization that would forever change the lives of countless children. “Kenna for Kids with Disabilities” became my lifework, a testament to a mother’s unwavering love and a ray of light and hope for families facing similar challenges.

With all its trials and triumphs, this journey has carved the most profound and gratifying chapter of my life. It has shown me the power of resilience, the beauty of transformation, and the boundless capacity of the human heart to embrace and uplift those who are too often marginalized.

Through Kenna for Kids with Disabilities, I am committed to changing the lives of these remarkable children and the hearts and minds of those who encounter their stories. For my son Kenna, the children of Ethiopia, and every family facing the unique journey of disability, I stand resilient, knowing that together, we can turn challenges into triumphs and rewrite the narrative of what it means to be differently-abled.