Norah Nyaboke 23 years old from a small village in Gucha had VVF/Bladder stones. She says that she was orphaned at early age when she was 6 years old, I was raised by my aunty and I never went to school and was forced to offer labour to make a living at that tender age by tilling people’s farms in the neighborhood.

When I reached 18 years another man from our village asked to marry me and I accepted, although he was older than me at 40 years then I accepted and we have three children together 2 boys and 1 girl. I enjoyed my marriage until I delivered my third child who brought about this problem. When I arrived home after delivery and my husband realized I was leaking urine, he abandoned us and left us with no help.

He left me saying “you are dirty and smelling …”, and he went ahead and married another woman who was a widow. With no one to turn too since I don’t even have siblings, I totally depended on well wishers to give us support. Its then that the village elders met and told my husband that he had to provide for us. All this made me so stressed and I lost a lot of weight. Am so happy to have gotten free treatment and I plan to start working again when I get better to be able to take care of my children. I was so surprised when my husband visited me at the hospital and he was glad to hear that I will be well again.

During the hospital stay Norah was always in deep thoughts and isolated herself from the other patients, she never finished her food and she said “I thought I was the only one with this problem, and I had no one to turn to I have no parents or siblings” one of the nurses said she had depression and Norah was linked to a counselor and will be followed after the camp.

This year camp went on well as planned in Kisii level five hospitals despite the ongoing strike by medical personnel country wide. The patients came with fear that the camp will be cancelled , but to their amazement  business was as usual , Joyce a patient quoted saying “ the doctors  in this hospital are very caring, can’t believe they are not on strike just to attend to us, May God truly bless them for their sacrifice….”

Naomi Moguku VVF ambassador operated in 2010 was happy that her surgery was successful, has been creating awareness in Gucha her home area and was more than delighted to bring 8 women during this camp to undergo surgery. Naomi quoted “I inform people everywhere I go about fistula even in church to help others, who would be suffering in silence just the way I was…”

Physiotherapy Session

Tale during the camp;

Unlike other fistula camps, Jude the physiotherapist who was expectant went into labor the last day of the camp and was admitted at the same facility. She delivered a healthy baby girl (Connie) 3.8kgs on 21^st September. The staff at the facility was very happy to receive the new bundle of joy, saying they have received a precious gift after the hard work.