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.

Esther Kwamboka from Kisii 19 years of age narrates of how she became pregnant while still in school. I had gone to school as usual and I received a call from my boyfriend who requested me to escort him to the nearby centre we talk. When we reached the centre he asked me if I can go to their home then he would escort me back to school.

Everything changed when I arrived there “he locked me in his room for 2 weeks, everyone was looking for me…”. My parents, teachers and fellow students started looking for me and could not find me since my boyfriend had switched of my phone. When I realized I was pregnant I didn’t see the need to go back home I knew my parents were annoyed with me, “I choose to stay with him, since I was already pregnant”.

One day as I went to the market one of the students spotted me and went and told my parents, its then that they located where I was and our parents had a meeting and they decided to leave me “my mum was very disappointed with me” says Esther. When time came for me to deliver I went to hospital and I had a baby girl who is now 3 years old.

When I came back home my husband started mistreating me when I was told to abstain for 3 months, and I also realized I was leaking urine especially when we had sexual intercourse, its then that he started avoiding me and having affairs. He told me he didn’t have money to treat me. I decided to stay thinking he would change his mind, but its then that he started having affairs with other girls and we started arguments. He bet me a couple of times and I ran away to my parents home, he followed me there and apologized to my parents and said it will never happen again so we went back home together. After 2 months the problems started again and I ran again to my parent’s home with my daughter.

He never came again to look for me or my child and I decided that I will never go back to him again. I plan to go back to school and finish my education and have a formal course in hope of getting a better job and I raise my child.

Robina Nyangote 55 years from Sirari got fistula in 1993 while delivering the 3rd born, she recalls very well that it was a boy child. She had delivered 3 times and only the first child the daughter survived. She says her problems started after she realized she could not control urine, this was the genesis of my marital problems says Robina, my husband chased me away saying “if I can’t sleep with you what benefit are you to me, just go so I can marry someone else”.

Confused and bitter Robina left to her friend’s place who gave her shelter, we started a small business together and from what I earned I raised my daughter. My life changed when my daughter got married and my son in law bought me a small piece of land and built for me a house, where I live now.

Since my separation with my husband I even stopped going to church in 2005 because of my condition, but my fellow brethrens never abandoned me they visited me at home to bring for me prayers and gave me support despite it all and gave me lots of hope.

I got to learn about this camp through a friend who told me to listen to radio that there would be a free medical camp for women, “I always listened on radio and when I had the announcement I rushed to hospital and was glad to be admitted…”. I am so happy after surgery and I plan to start a better business “I want to take care of myself and live a good life, life has been quite hard on me I want to start over again”

I had a disagreement with my husband and ran away from home that night and slept at the neighbors place. The following day when I came I found my daughter had been left with the grandmother and she was crying very much.

I tried everything to calm her down even breast feeding didn’t work she was only 2 years old then. Its then that I realized that she was leaking urine but I thought it will just stop by its self since she was still young. I later realized that Sarafina never wanted me to even touch her private parts even while showering her “I never suspected rape, until we went to hospital at age of 6 years in 2009 and was informed that my child had been raped”. She had a perineal tear (Injury of the vagina and rectum).

I was asked to come for this camp but I always missed the radio announcement and for last year and it was too late for me, but fortunate enough this time the doctors told me the date and I came early for my child to be repaired. Sarafina underwent 2 surgeries i.e. Colostomy and perineal repair that was done 2 days later. “Am happy she can have a normal life like other children and I promise to take good care of her that she will never go though such pain again”.

We lived with our parents in Nyandarua and when my parents died I decided as the first born to relocate with my siblings to Eldoret. Its then that I became pregnant in 1967 and I labored at home for 3 days. When I couldn’t  deliver, they referred me to hospital and I also stayed another day before operation and was told it’s too late my child had already passed on. Its then that I got fistula.

I later got married with my condition and my husband was very loving and understanding .In 1980 I delivered my second child a boy and he survived although he was sick last year and passed on ,am glad he left me with a grandchild. My husband never really wanted me to work and restricted me to only light duties to ensure safe pregnancy. Unfortunately I have delivered 10 children and none is alive “this really affected me and I always wondered what was wrong with me, I have leaked urine almost all my life and have no children or husband”, Wanjiku moved to tears.

My life turned its back on me in 1992 after 17 years of marriage. This was during the tribal clashes that erupted in Eldoret between Kikuyu and Kalenjin.  Before we fled my husband told me we part ways and that he was going back home to Murang’a his home. He told me “I am tired of having grave yards in my home, I am done….” this hurt me so much because it was not my fault that the children passed on. I later learnt that he got married but passed on a few years later.

I decided to leave and go to Busia since there was nothing left for me here, and my cousin offered me shelter and my son had a chance to go to school there. What gave me courage to move on were my family members who were always there for me to encourage and comfort me “they never gave up on me”.

I learnt about this camp from a friend of mine who had taken the child for a cleft lip surgery at Alupe hospital by Amref Outreach. When I went there I was requested to travel to Kisii for this camp and am glad I received care here. I had hope because of the support I received from brethren from my church, they even gave me fare to travel to Kisii and have been calling everyday to ask how am fairing on. “I can’t wait to go back; this is a miracle that I am no longer leaking, it’s like a dream that I can wake up on a dry bed without leaking…” I am so grateful beyond words for the help you have give me “I wish my late loving husband was alive to see this…” May God preserve you all and bless you for the support you have given to us.

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.