PROVIDING NECESSARY HEALTHCARE:

a kid undergoing leg surgery in Kijabe hospital

Be yond raising awareness through Education, what proved most effective in changing communal attitudes was demonstrating what their own Disabled children could do if given the proper medical attention. We often took the most severely disabled children in a community and ensure that they received the healthcare they needed, whether it was in the form of surgery, therapy, or medication. Although many disabilities can never be fully cured, to show how much children who were formally deemed useless could do given the right medical attention, was enough to transform the attitude of the whole families and communities.

The program counts the very first disabled children we helped to receive treatment, ie example of a young girl named Gladys. She like many other disabled children at the time was largely hidden away because of the large growth and deformity on her head. The fear disgust of Gladys family and community was evident as Franciska the mediator inquired about seeing her and helping her to receive treatment, (Don’t look at her, she has eight heads, she is not even a human, they warned,) Unheeding of their warnings, Franciska not only met Gladys, but brought her to a hospital to receive the necessary corrective surgery. The surgery was very successful and we ensured that Gladys was placed in a school, which she did very well academically and completed her secondary school education all while living with Franciska, because Gladys’ father divorced her mother after she was born and her mother largely abdicated responsibility. Gladys successfully became a compelling vehicle for change not only in her community, but also in her family as she recently went back to live with her family who is now accepting and proud of her. Even her father who she never knew came out of hiding to claim this now educated and accomplished young lady as his daughter. Gladys was amongst the first of many children helped by the program to receive necessary medical attention and exemplifies clearly that if given the opportunity, individuals affected by disability can demonstrate for themselves their many abilities and their worth human beings.

As mentioned, what was done for Gladys, we did for many other disabled children in various Maasai communities. Although the Experience of Franciska as a nurse helped to recognize and understand various conditions; we often took children to an assessment center in Narok city to ensure that they received a professional diagnosis and thus referral for appropriate treatment.

Accessing healthcare was definitely challenging, however, considering that Entasekera and the surrounding villages are so remote and inaccessible. Franciska was able to establish partnerships with several Hospitals and health centers, but even finding ways to transport disabled children from their villages to various centers proved extremely difficult. At times she goes as far as carrying children on her back from villages that were especially inaccessible. Another major barrier we encountered was the fact that children did not have a place to go after treatment, of course most were returned to their homes and villages, but the Maasai lifestyle often did not allow for appropriate rehabilitation and recovery. Instead of progressing, many children who were set up for success by the initial medical attention they received began regressing and developing new problems and infections. Franciska tried encouraging counseling and training parents in how to properly help their children recover, but eventually realized that only so much can be done in context of Maasai lifestyle, which is often unsanitary, transitory, and simply not conduce to necessary rehabilitation.

Recognizing this needs, the program officially opened Namelok-Naretoi Home for the Handicapped in 2004. This center is located near Entasekera Health Centre, its designed to be a halfway house where children can fully and properly recuperate after receiving surgery and medical treatment.. In this context, we can personally ensure that children are receiving the therapy and medication they need to maximize the effect of their initial treatment. Also by allowing children to live at Namelok- Naretoi for extended periods of time, we could solidify foundational habits which would set children on the road to full recovery. The goal of Namelok- Naretoi is not to become a permanent home for individuals affected by disability, but to be a transitional and training center. Namelok-Naretoi seeks to provide an environment where disabled children can be physically and mentally prepared for successful resource for parents and community members to learn how to best come alongside those affected by disability. Although (Special Needs Education SNE ) is the ultimate goal, we recognized that a disabled child’s medical needs must be fully addressed before he or she can succeed in an educational environment.

kids accompanied by their parents to hospital