When the doctors examined her, they said she would get better with time but 10 years later she was still leaking urine uncontrollably. Her once jovial life turned into sorrow and sadness. She could not fit in the society due to the awful smell of urine, she felt hopeless.

Nduku kept this to herself and never sought any form of help. She did not know where to go or who to tell. Her family abandoned her due to her condition making her even more desperate. When she finally heard about the fistula advert on her local radio station, she decided to give herself a chance and seek help. She came to the hospital expectantly and was admitted. She was diagnosed with a ureteric fistula which happened to be the most difficult case to repair taking the surgeon 5 hours.

Nduku is now well and recovering and feels happy that she got a solution to her problem. Nduku is thankful to the partners for helping her. She confesses that she had made up her mind to live like that till her death. A once hopeless Nduku is now full of hope.

Being a naive uneducated girl, Mary did not understand what was happening to her and thought it was a normal thing after delivery. She later gave birth to five more children but nobody ever told her that she could get help. Living in isolation, she feared travelling or staying with people for fear of messing. Whenever she had to move around, she fasted to prevent stool from coming out. Her husband did not leave her but he married another wife claiming that Mary was dirty.

Mary tried seeking help from the local health centers but they turned her down and referred her to Nairobi which she could never afford. When a health worker from her region told her about the Kitui camp, she was sure that her chance to finally get help had come. Through FDSA who facilitated her travel, Mary was repaired and she is now healed and very happy. “I feel new again, it’s been many years of suffering but finally I got help, I will only pray that God will bless you abundantly for your good work”

I could no longer control stool. When I told the nurses, they told me to wait until the wound healed then I would get better. However this did not happen, I continued leaking stool. My mother did not want to hear about my agony. At the hospital I was told that it would cost 40,000 (forty thousand) for the operation, which at the time my family could not afford we barely met our needs. I lied that I was healed so that I could resume my studies. I would use cotton wool and pads while in school so that I could not mess. Other than school, I avoided travelling as much as I could so. I was lonely and hopeless but I was hopeful that I would finish my school, get employment and be able to pay for the bill for my repair.

When I heard of a camp in Kisii, I told my mother about it but she did not take it lightly. She scolded me why I had lied that I was healed and refused to facilitate my travel to Kisii. “Continue staying the way you have been staying” those were her words. I felt very disappointed and decided to just keep to myself.

I heard of Kitui Fistula camp, and this time round I was determined to get help, I knew this was my chance to get healed. I called Flying Doctors Society and they facilitated my transport. The memory I relived when

Now am healed. I am the happiest person on earth. I feel like shouting to everyone that am now fine. I really thank everyone who facilitated me to get healed. Am now born again and more determined. I will finish my college and help people who are suffering like me. Thank you very much. God bless you.

Not knowing who to share her worry with, Mercy kept it to herself. When her husband started noticing the bad smell and the uncontrollable flatus, Mercy got worried. His husband became abusive and would embarrass her in front of visitors calling her names. Physical fights set in and Mercy was only confined to her house since the husband warned her about leaving the house to go to work. He said she was an embarrassment since she could not control her gas and stool.

Mercy, who was then a hair dresser, now remained confined and would not make a cent. Whenever she was found not in the house, it called for physical abuse. When things got worse, he threatened to kill her “I will do anything just to get rid of you” he would occasionally say. Fearing for her life and that of her children, Mercy fled to her brother’s house since her parents were very poor and could not take her in with her three children. She began a new life in the new environment. She was well received but within a month, she felt the need to start working to support her brother in feeding the huge family. She started braiding neighbors but due to the bad smell and the gas, she would have to fast all day so as to be able to work without embarrassment.

“I never went to church, I was always afraid of farting and of stool, I remained in the house and prayed to my God that he would heal me. I didn’t know where to seek help.  I felt an outcast but I had to live for my kids. My husband has never checked on us for 5 years now, not even to ask about his children”. When she saw the advert on TV, Mercy knew that this was her only chance to get healed. God had heard her prayers. She called the number displayed on the screen and she got fare to travel to Kitui. ‘Now am healed, I will go and give thanks to God for healing me; I can now dance and sing to the Lord in church. I will work hard to set up my own salon in Eldoret town. My son is now in class seven and I have to take him to secondary in a year’s time. Am very happy and May God bless you for the good work you’re doing to save us.’