When Mary Mulwa, 21, decided to do life with her husband Mulwa Mulei she thought good tidings had come on her way.
At the time her husband had just finished form four and she was waiting to join a tertiary institution for higher education.
“I was a young girl and I happened to get pregnant out of wedlock. Unfortunately, I was not attended by a professional birth attendant instead, I used a traditional birth attendant,” she says pointing at this as the genesis of her woes.
Since that day Mary says her life has never been the same again as she realized she would no longer hold either long or short calls.
“Initially I didn’t know where I was ailing but I knew all was not well as I couldn’t hold a call of nature,” she says.
Mary describes the condition as painful and shaming as rarely does one concentrate on a work that involves people.
“Fistula is like disability. It hinders you to live life. It suppresses your esteem and alienates you from society,” Mary notes thoughtfully.
She notes that since the time she realized she was ailing from the condition she has lived a reserved life. “I am lucky my husband has been a pillar. She has supported me. I don’t know how life would have been without him while I am in this condition,” Mary wonders.
She notes that most men would abandon their wives if they ever found them in such a situation since being around them sometimes might be heartbreaking.
“Everyone wants a person who is accepted by society but sometimes it’s discouraging when people are kind of sidelining your partner. As a human, you can be tempted to separate from a person with an issue. It takes God’s hand,” she says.
According to Mary’s husband Mulwa Mulei, there is a need for the private sector to partner with the government to help women suffering from such conditions.
“I am not a man of means. I am still young and it’s overwhelming when you have a partner with such a condition. A person suffering from fistula might not be able to focus on her work means most of the time she ends up being at home mother hence support,” remarks Mulei a B.O.G teacher in Kitui County.
He observes that there are a lot of people in such a quagmire, and they are in dilemma on the next step.
“Some might not be suffering from fistula but are in a trap. It’s a responsibility of the government and the society to help people who are stuck especially in health-related issues,” he urges.
He further urges the media to look for health-related content to educate people in the comfort of their houses.
For now, Mulei are grateful for the assistance they have received from the Flying Doctors Society of Kenya, Safaricom Foundation and the Royal Media services for their services.
“When we serve the people well, it is also a way of serving God,” Mulei concludes noting this as the greatest service a person can offer.
