Through our journey to reach out to the less privileged, we come across some sad stories with happy endings. Meet Victor Mwaura, friends like to call him Vicky. A 7 -years old boy who is warm, intelligent, charming, and full of life. He is in most ways like other young boys.
However, he is differently-abled since he was born with Spina Bifida and a Hydrocephalus condition that has confined him to a congested room where he lives with his 79 years old grandmother, Leah Wanjiku.
The confinement has denied him the joy and the pleasure to interact and socialize with his peers. But that does not stop him from having a big smile and being enthusiastic about life.
Upon arrival at their home, Vicky was so excited to see everyone and all he asked from us was to buy him a nice suit and a pair of shoes so that he could go to church and praise God there! That was so uplifting. And although the condition had a glimmer of hope at that time, he was enthusiastic about what he loved most — God.
So after a warm welcome, the grandmother explicitly and painfully narrated to us the hustles and struggles that she has gone through raising Victor from the age of 3 weeks. When the mother realized that she gave birth to a child with disabilities, she fled to Nairobi leaving Victor under her care and later passed on.
Leah had no option other than to try her best to rescue the young innocent soul from the ruthless glaring cords of death. So, she took Victor to Kijabe hospital where he was admitted for three weeks and underwent the surgery process to correct the spinal defect. 3 weeks later he was discharged to go home and undergo recommended physiotherapy sessions.
Mitchel Njeri- Victor’s mother was terminally ill during his birth and so she never breastfed the boy, forcing him to feed on supplements at a very tender age. So, that compounded with physical disabilities caused Victor to fall sick often and be hospitalized for long hours under the drip.
They had become proverbial resident patients. Nurses noticed them due to their frequent visits and Victor’s long hospital admissions. But that caused Victor to acquire another deformity on his right hand due to long exposure to the drips. He has grown over time though he is still immobile because his limbs are weak and he can not stand, walk nor control his bowel and bladder.
The grandmother has no means of income and due to her advanced age, she cannot engage in any activity to support herself and Victor financially. All she does is take care of Victor domestically while depending on her elder son who works for Kenya breweries as a driver. Leah also takes care of two other grandchildren- Lucky Kimani, Victors’ brother, and Wambui of another deceased daughter.
Being a beneficiary of ‘Pesa Kwa Wazee’ (meaning money for the elderly) a government initiative that supports the elderly citizen, Leah receives KES2000 per month and uses the money to buy diapers for Victor because he is yet to be toilet trained.
She painfully expressed her frustrations in her sons and daughters, who are lost in the slums of Nakuru brewing and drinking their lives out with all kinds of illicit brew.
With no help from her other sons and daughter, it has become more difficult for the poor grandmother to balance all these things. Hospital visits every Monday are just too costly for her, and she has to quit the therapies altogether trusting God for victor’s healing.
This touching story moved the Daraja team to swing into action. We, therefore, organized and facilitated both Educational assessment and medical assessments. The assessment officers described him as being mentally sound and that he could benefit fully in an inclusive setting or attend a regular neighborhood school with the aid of a wheelchair for his mobility.
A well-wisher had shown interest to support Victor with a wheelchair but finding a good one for him was a bit of a challenge, due to the proximity of the school and the institutions were not inclusive enough to take care of his academic needs.
We talked to one of the teachers at the nearby school and made requests for school placement for Victor within the locality. Mrs. Gathuri, in turn, talked to some of the headteachers around who were hesitant to offer Victor admission because of his disabilities. Some principals cited the lack of disabled-friendly facilities, trained teachers and support staff to care for Victor as the main reasons not to admit him.
He eventually secured an ideal institution but was inconvenient due to distance and limited safe means of transport. The only means of transport was the use of a motorbike that could potentially expose Victor to more risks. He had to settle for another option.
Mrs. Gathuri, a heaven-sent blessing to Victor indeed, managed to identify Worker’s primary school which has a special unit for learners with intellectual challenges. The school environment is disability-friendly with all necessary facilities such as ramps that make it easier for students using wheelchairs to move around. With some of its teaching staff living with disabilities, the school understands and relates with students on a deeper level for their growth.
Victor was placed in the special unit. It was perfect for a while until the EARC assessment report and an oral interview established that Victor was fit for a regular school placement. A meeting to discuss the possibility of Victor being enrolled in the ECDE section was held between Daraja and the school head in charge of the ECDE regular unit section — who later insisted on visiting Victor at home to assess the condition for herself.
Meanwhile, Victor needed a wheelchair to facilitate his movement which Daraja organized and followed up until one was found. We were persuaded that Victor’s admission to a school and the acquisition of the wheelchair will go a long way in opening a new chapter and a life-changing encounter in his life.
This will go a long way in relieving the grandmother and she would no longer have to spend all day at home helping Victor move around. But rather pick herself up from despair and engage in some income-generating activities to support the family.
The new chapter in Victor’s life was unfolding with more blessings. We managed to get Victor a used wheelchair first as we waited for a custom option at a later date. He got registered with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD). Daraja applied for an education bursary as well as the PWD card which allows access to various services available for people living with disabilities.
He’s now at school happy like never before and ready to live out the saying Disability is not inability in a seemingly brighter future. During holidays, the program manager follows up on Victor’s progress and the first mid-term break was indeed special for everyone, especially for his brother — Lucky Kimani — who was so excited to find his brother in a wheelchair and in school.