At the time her husband had just finished form four and she was waiting to join a tertiary institution for higher education.

“I was a young girl and I happened to get pregnant out of wedlock. Unfortunately, I was not attended by a professional birth attendant instead, I used a traditional birth attendant,” she says pointing at this as the genesis of her woes.

Since that day Mary says her life has never been the same again as she realized she would no longer hold either long or short calls.

“Initially I didn’t know where I was ailing but I knew all was not well as I couldn’t hold a call of nature,” she says.

Mary describes the condition as painful and shaming as rarely does one concentrate on a work that involves people.

“Fistula is like disability. It hinders you to live life. It suppresses your esteem and alienates you from society,” Mary notes thoughtfully.

She notes that since the time she realized she was ailing from the condition she has lived a reserved life. “I am lucky my husband has been a pillar. She has supported me. I don’t know how life would have been without him while I am in this condition,” Mary wonders.

She notes that most men would abandon their wives if they ever found them in such a situation since being around them sometimes might be heartbreaking.

“Everyone wants a person who is accepted by society but sometimes it’s discouraging when people are kind of sidelining your partner. As a human, you can be tempted to separate from a person with an issue. It takes God’s hand,” she says.

According to Mary’s husband Mulwa Mulei, there is a need for the private sector to partner with the government to help women suffering from such conditions.

“I am not a man of means. I am still young and it’s overwhelming when you have a partner with such a condition. A person suffering from fistula might not be able to focus on her work means most of the time she ends up being at home mother hence support,” remarks Mulei a B.O.G teacher in Kitui County.

He observes that there are a lot of people in such a quagmire, and they are in dilemma on the next step.

“Some might not be suffering from fistula but are in a trap. It’s a responsibility of the government and the society to help people who are stuck especially in health-related issues,” he urges.

He further urges the media to look for health-related content to educate people in the comfort of their houses.

For now, Mulei are grateful for the assistance they have received from the Flying Doctors Society of Kenya, Safaricom Foundation and the Royal Media services for their services.

“When we serve the people well, it is also a way of serving God,” Mulei concludes noting this as the greatest service a person can offer.

Growing up, Isnio was charming and friendly. She loved being in crowds but her once happy life was cut short by a condition she didn’t have knowledge about. She has been forced to live a quiet life. She doesn’t congregate with other women. According to people in her community, she is a bad omen.

“I got a fistula in 2017 during the delivery of my firstborn. At the time I had just turned 21 years old,” Isinio kicks off the interview.

She explains that at the time she didn’t know about fistula leave alone she was ailing from it.

“Like most women in my area, I delivered at home through traditional midwives and therefore I didn’t know immediately that there was something amiss. I realized I had an issue after,” explains Isinio.

Isinio says that initially, she thought it was normal to have injuries after birth although she was not sure of the extent of damage. “I was shocked that I was not able to control my bladder and it was a persistent challenge. I enquired about it from my mother and sisters and they couldn’t understand it. It’s here I decided to seek medical advice,” says Isinio a Garissa County resident.

“It’s at the health center, she visited, she first heard about fistula. I had neither heard about that before nor had I come across someone suffering from it,” she narrates.

“The health center I visited didn’t have facilities to treat the condition they therefore referred me to another bigger hospital but unfortunately, I didn’t have the resources to go for treatment,” she speaks.

After a while, she realized some of her friends and neighbors were not comfortable with her and this saw her withdraw from them. “I knew I had a problem, and I didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. I decided to pull out from crowds,” she notes.

Isinio says how uncomfortable fistula patients are as they rarely know when they have soiled on themselves.

“Most of the time I would spend time alone in the house as I couldn’t do a lot in this condition.

Fistula cripples a person. It not only affects your social life, but it also affects you physiologically,” she notes.

Although the society alienated her, she is happy that her husband stood with her during all that time.

“Relatives didn’t have an issue with me. They gave me their support. They were understanding and they would always look for opportunities to help me,” adds Isinio.

Relief…

For now, Isinio’s life has changed after undergoing surgery to treat the condition. “We have community health workers in my village and it was during their usual visit when they broke the good news about the medical campaign to treat fistula,” she says happily.

“First, I was worried since I thought it was a paid medical camp, but I felt a sigh of relief when they told me it was a free campaign,” she notes.

Isinio says that her husband is not a man of means and they couldn’t have raised the money even in a decade. “They told me about the campaign. I came, I was checked, and doctors found out that

I had a problem. I had been treated and now I am I well,” she remarks.

Isinio urges the government and other humanitarian organizations to look at issues affecting poverty-stricken people and make a difference in their lives.

“I am very grateful to The Flying Doctors Society of Kenya, Safaricom Foundation and The

Royal Media Services for restoring our dignity,” she concludes.

A lot of married women who are not lucky enough to bear children of their own are in most cases divorced. They don’t get the respect they deserve in society.

This was the case with Faham Muhamed. Faham 27, got married for four years but she was not lucky to have a child of her own.

“I am a divorcee. I was married for four years but I wasn’t lucky to have a child” says Faham a

Garissa County resident.

Her lack of a child saw her husband flee leaving her at Kakuma Refugee Camp. “We are refugees leaving at Kakuma refugee camp,” she says.

Faham recalls that it was during her marriage that she realized she had another condition that stirred her marriage woes, perineal fistula.

What’s Perineal Fistula…

Perineal fistula is a malformation that involves a misplaced anal passage that is often narrowed.

This kind of malformation is generally present from birth. Its causes are not known, however,

Researchers say environmental factors such as drug use may play a role.

Children with the condition may exhibit this kind of symptoms; not passing stool on the first day after birth or two, passing stool through a misplaced position, swollen belly and missing or misplaced anus.

Seeking help…

“After two years of marriage I realized all was not well I decided to look for traditional and religious intervention but this didn’t work. It’s here I decided to visit a hospital for advice and I learnt that I have Perineal fistula,” she remarks.

The fact that she didn’t have cash saw her go back into the house and wait for the day that her God will send an angel to heal her.

“Treating this condition is too expensive for people without a stable income. I couldn’t afford it,” she speaks.

Faham notes that she had lost hope of getting treated until she saw a text message from

Safaricom invited her to a medical camp.

“All women are invited to attend this medical camp, where relevant health discussion on fistula will be done, and free treatment will be given to fistula patients. Tell a friend to invite a friend as we all work together to overcome fistula,” read the invitation text.

Faham notes that she was used to living with the condition. “Yes, it was affecting me, but I didn’t have an option,” she notes.

“I went for the treatment. Got diagnosed with perineal Fistula and I got treated,” says Faham happily.

Faham is grateful that she is back on her footing. She points out that the treatment by The Flying

Doctors Society, The Safaricom Foundation and The Royal Media Services as the best gifts she has ever received. “I will now be able to look for a job and at least live a life,” she states.

She observes that most women suffering from rare conditions such as fistula are belittled and despised by the community members. “There is a need for civic education among people in the village. The elderly and the ailing need to earn their respect. Despising the sick breaks, them hence making the situation worse,” she says.

Fahim says she will now go look for casual jobs and at least manage to feed herself as she gets clear on what she wants to do with her life.

Rahab, a mother of one, describes her last two years as hell on earth. “For the last two years I would not leave the house and engage in communal activities,” says Rahab.

Rahab says she thought her fate had been sealed. She never believed a day would come and win her freedom of movement and interaction back. She felt short-changed. She had done nothing with her life when fistula struck her.

“I was married off in my teenage hood. Going with our culture, this was normal. Most girls get married off earlier. Girls are equated with wealth,” says Rahab 20.

“I conceived and when the time to deliver came I went to the hospital, and I was happy to get a gift of a baby girl,” narrates Rahab.

But her joy was short-lived as it was in her first month, she realized all was not well. “I had an issue with controlling urine and even long calls. I would reek of urine. People would avoid me like plague,” she says adding this gave her husband a license to divorce her.

“He didn’t understand that it was not my fault. A fistula is like an accident that can happen to anyone,” she points out.

She adds that some people thought she was cursed and that’s why she was leaking feces and urine, hence avoiding her.

“I had a difficult time. I would stay indoors, and I wouldn’t attend events. Apart from close relatives’ other people would avoid me,” she explains.

Although the withdrawal methods would work for her, she points out its not dependable as there would come a time circumstance that would force her to be in people. “No man is an island. You can avoid people sometimes but not at all times,” she remarks.

For now, Rahab’s story has taken a new twist after attending a fistula camp held by the Flying

Doctors Society of Kenya in collaboration with the Safaricom Foundation and the Royal Media

Services.

“I heard about fistula camp through a health community volunteer who used to visit us. At first, I thought they would charge us, and I was worried because I was not sure I would manage to raise the required amount of money,” she says.

“I visited the camp where I was treated and now am well. I am grateful for this team for they have restored my life,” she says.

Rahab encourages women suffering from fistula not to fear to speak out and look for help. “I would like to encourage women to be their sisters’ keepers. We need to check on each other to live a healthy life,” she says.

Way forward….

“I am grateful. I will be able to hold hands with other women in development-oriented activities,” she says.

While fistula is rarely life-threatening, it can decrease a person’s quality of life. Women and girls with fistula are often unable to work, and many are abandoned by husbands and families and ostracized by their communities, driving them further into poverty vulnerability and decreasing their quality of life.

According to research by the World Health Organization, WHO, most women with obstetric fistula lose their source of income due to their incontinence and become an economic burden to their families. This pushes them to poverty, leaving them in bitterness, trauma, and depression and suffering disappointment.