Thursday, April 9, 2026
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How to Make Macadamia Nut Cookies

By
Maryanne W. Waweru
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4

Nabubwaya Chambers is a Kenyan-born mom now raising her family in Texas, USA. She lives with her husband and their son Lema. Nabubwaya’s mom recently visited her in Texas,  and is characteristic of all mothers, she took along some unga for her daughter. Here is what Nabubwaya was able to make from some of the unga her mom brought to her. She writes:

“Last week, I decided to be a little bit innovative by baking macadamia nuts cookies. Instead of using the usual all-purpose flour, I opted for the celebrated Chapati Afya unga that my lovely mother had brought from Kenya on her recent trip to visit us.

I don’t know if anybody out there has tried this before, but I would really like to know if it has been done before and how it tasted. Well, let us just say that I most certainly brought all of the edible Kenya very close to our kitchen this time around.

I googled a basic recipe and adapted it to fit the time and ingredients that I had. You can find it here: Macadamia Nut Cookies Recipe. I substituted butter with olive oil since it was just sitting on my counter. I usually add very little olive oil to Lema’s meals and he absolutely loves it. I have tried butter before but he did not warm up to it at all so olive oil it is.

Anyway, back to my attempt at making the macadamia nut cookies. The recipe called for 10-12 minutes of baking time, or until the cookies turn golden brown at 375 degrees.

My curiosity led me to peep at the cookies through the oven door where I could clearly see them working hard to come out just right. I did the first batch in 12 minutes and they seemed alright for my first time edible experiment. The second batch seemed even better in some way. I cooled them then waited for Baba Lema to come home from work. We enjoyed the cookies as our dessert after sharing a meal.

Meanwhile, our little baby Lema slept very peacefully in the room. The video monitor was on and I could see him lying there with no care in the world.

We might request our dear mama to send us some Chapati Afya multipurpose flour so that we can come up with more recipes for some good food. We have also made pancakes with this flour and they were so delicious. Talk about innovation in the kitchen! We enjoyed them greatly as Lema watched every bite of it!”

Hmmm, so what do you think of Nabubwaya’s cookies? Have you ever tried doing something similar?

Don’t Ignore that Suicidal Cry for Help…

By
Maryanne W. Waweru
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0

In recent days, I have come across information on people who have taken their own lives. Young people with a bright future whose lives have suddenly been cut short through suicide. Notably, in the three cases I’ve learnt about, the individuals had subtly posted ‘goodbye messages’ on their social media pages.

For a certain period before their deaths, the young people would consistently post messages hinting about their imminent demise. Their messages had the recurrent themes of sadness, hopelessness and feelings of worthlessness. Most talked about being happier on the ‘other side’.

Interestingly after their deaths, friends flooded their pages with messages of ‘Ohhh my God was it that bad? Still in shock! I can’t believe this! I’m sorry! I wish I took you seriously! Why didn’t you call, text? Why did you have to do it?…and so on.

But the sad truth is they had already reached out to their family and friends. Their laments about life, hopelessness, loneliness, betrayal, guilt and death were indicative of this. Only that perhaps, caught up in life’s busy affairs, their family and friends did not read in between the lines. Notably, the comments after their death were so much more than when the person was alive — crying out for help. Their responses came too little too late.

Sad

Society has mainly cultured us to think that when a person reveals their suicidal thoughts because of life’s problems, it’s just an attention-seeking gimmick. I mean, we all have problems in life, so why don’t they just suck it up like everybody else does? Suicidal people are thought of as cowards, quitters, weak and selfish — why would they deliberately leave their loved ones in such pain and anguish?

But the truth is that many of these people are not cowards. And neither are they selfish or mean. Many are depressed, and depression is an illness that can be fatal if appropriate interventions are not taken. Many times, depressed people don’t even know they are depressed so are not aware of their need for professional help.

I got to understand the rationale of depression and suicide when researching on depression during and after pregnancy. I mean, the expectation of bringing forth a new life into the world, or the joy of holding a precious newborn in a woman’s arms is supposed to make every mother overjoyed, right? So why is it that some new mothers hate their newborns so much that they cannot stand the sight of them? Why do some mothers kill their newborns before taking their own lives?

John Gacheru, a counselling psychologist I spoke to, informed me that for people who are depressed, it is as though they are suffocating in a dark tunnel and the only light they can see ahead of them is the suicide one. They believe ending their life is the only way out of their debilitating misery. In that very instance, at that particular time, death is the only relief from their perceived wretchedness.

sad woman

Yet, while someone who is not depressed may not see it that way and may even laugh it off, it is a very logical reasoning for a depressed person. In their minds, suicide is their only solution. Only death will satisfy their craving for freedom. Depression is real and for many, it is not a feeling that they can just simply snap out of or ‘just get over it’. Depressed people need help, many times professional help.

So instead of waiting to post messages of shock and regret on the page of a family member or friend who has taken their own life, do something today. Pay attention to that brother, sister, cousin, niece, nephew, friend or colleague who is crying out for help. Don’t comment ‘praying for you’, and hope that their problems are just a passing cloud. Your intervention could be just what will save their life.

images: dreamstime.com

Ninda Kang’ethe: “My Cakes are All Natural. I Use Fresh and Organic Products to Bake, with no Artificial Ingredients”

By
Maryanne W. Waweru
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0

Ninda Kang’ethe is a mother of five. She has a full-time job as an Executive Director in an NGO but still finds time to bake tens of cakes and other pastries each week. Quite a handful her life is! Ninda bakes her cakes under the brand ’2 Sisters 2 Continents Cupcakes’.

I had an interview with Ninda about her life as a businesswoman, her family life, her motherhood experiences –which includes a miscarriage and the loss of a child a few days after birth. Read on, as Ninda explains in her own words.

How the Journey to my Bakery Expertise Began

My love for the kitchen started with my mother. When I was growing up, she was always baking and cooking for our family and friends. My mom scoured over every magazine and cookbook she could lay her hands on.  I learned a lot from watching her experiment in the kitchen.

From as early as on as I can remember, I measured flour, mixed cake batter, chopped vegetables –you name it, I did it all with my mom.

Memories of  my Very First Cake

I was about 9 years old when I baked my first cake. I followed a classic traditional yellow cake recipe from my mom’s “Joy of Cooking” cook book. Everyone enjoyed it and this made me feel very happy and accomplished. My dream was to study culinary arts but my parents encouraged me to pursue Law or Business. I eventually earned my B.A in Political Science and later on my M.B.A in Management from the US.

I was baking mostly as a hobby for family and friends, many of whom kept telling me to start a business. So I took all of the knowledge I had received from my mom and together with some pastry arts courses I had undertaken in the US, I started a small custom cake business from my home in 2010 which I called “Sweet Endings”.

Pregnancy, Work and Baking

However, in 2012 I took a break as I was pregnant and juggling my job and baking became overwhelming. However, last year my sister, who is based in the US encouraged me to re-launch and re-brand and change focus to cupcakes. I still offer custom cakes and cheesecakes but have since introduced cookies, bars, cake pops and pies.

The name of the business “2 Sisters 2 Continents Cupcakes” came about from my sister and I being close and our own biggest supporters but at the same time we are now living on two different continents as she still lives in North America. She is also a baker and a foodie and supports the business with recipes, sourcing ingredients and equipment from the US.

The Challenges I Face in my Business

I still hold a full time job as an Executive Director of an NGO and my other life job is being a mom. It was difficult at first with my job, but I am now flexible with my time and also ensuring I have enough sundries for that emergency order that comes knocking. The most challenging part is not having enough time to do everything I want.

Pricing is also a challenge, because everything is made from scratch using fresh ingredients. I don’t use anything artificial. I use fresh butter, organic eggs, vanilla bean and fresh cream. There are very few things I can find at wholesale prices. Additionally, fresh and organic products are costly to purchase. Some ingredients are not available in the local market while some are very costly so my sister sources them from the US and has them shipped to me here.

My Greatest Satisfaction

I find it rewarding to develop my own blueprint of how I want to effectively run a business, developing new flavours and designs, and of course the joy my clients get from my end-products nothing can quantify that!

I sell my cakes mostly through word of mouth and Facebook. The most popular flavours are Caramel Mocha Latte, White Chocolate Raspberry, Red Velvet, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Death by Chocolate, Carrot-Pineapple and Coconut Lemon just to name a few. The Fudge Brownies and Lemon Bars are also popular. The newest flavour is Snickers Bar.

Ninda the Mom

I am a mom of five –one boy and four girls. My son Azizi will be turning 15 this month in August. He is mature for his age, smart and focused.

My eldest daughter Zainabu is 11 she is my right hand, responsible and caring.

She is followed by Nakwavi, 9 years and who is the “girly girl” of the family. She loves clothes, make up and shoes! She is sweet and quiet.

Then there is 5 year-old Nyambura who is very outgoing and free spirited.

My last born is Nekesa who is 2 years old. She is the love of the family, an active, happy and loving little girl.

I love being a mom, with the best part being the unconditional love I get from my kids. It sometimes makes me breathless.  Seeing the magnificent caring people they are growing into, and knowing that my love and compassion had to do with that fills me with awe. I can’t wait to see the man and women I will have raised in the future and I know they will be amazing.

The lowest moment in my motherhood journey was a miscarriage and the loss of Nekesa’s twin shortly after birth in September 2012.

I must say that I completely love spending time with my kids. We love to go to the movies, swimming and playing outdoors. My children are my greatest blessing and gift to me, and I absolutely cherish them.”

Wow! So that’s Ninda’s story. Ninda can be reached on 0736 137 911. Here’s more photos of her work.

She does cookies too!

Beautiful work by Ninda. Keep it up!

Do You Have a High Turnover of House Girls? Be Careful About That

By
Maryanne W. Waweru
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2
Edith Kanyingi of the Centre for Domestic Workers and Training

The issue of house girls is one that is very close to many mother’s hearts. Because most need help with their babies while they are out at work.

Some house girls, like Caroline Kinyanjui’s stay for years (they’ve been together thirteen years –read Caroline’s story here), but that is rare nowadays for there seems to be very few homes that retain one house girl for long. Many homes today experience a high turnover of house girls. But does this high turnover have any effect on the children?

I talked to a mom, a sociologist and a child psychologist about this issue, which I hope will enlighten you.

Lucy Kang’ethe has employed 15 house girls since she began hiring help to take care of her children four years ago. The mother of two – a four-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl – says that this number is exclusive of the girls who only work for one or two days then leave without warning. The reasons?

“Some couldn’t handle the workload, or take basic instructions; others got better job offers, while some returned to their husbands, disrespect … and so many more,” says the 34 year-old who runs her own real-estate business.
Lucy, who takes three weeks to train new house girls –irrespective of their prior working experience, never hesitates to dismiss workers who are not up to the task.
“If you don’t meet my expectations, I have no business keeping you. The shortest-serving house girl in my home lasted three months, while the longest-serving worked for me for nine months.”
While changing house girls frequently may appear to be common in many homes today, child development experts warn that a high turnover potentially has negative effects on children. The constant interruption and readjustment to new caregivers can be a challenge, especially for young children, says Sociologist Christopher Kiboro.
“Children spend a lot of time, during their formative years with their caregivers and even look up to them, picking up attitudes and habits from them. If you change caregivers frequently, each brings a different background that is foreign to the child, such as language, mannerisms, beliefs and values, so there is no consistency in what the child is learning.
Further, this constant cycle where a nanny leaves just when a child is developing attachment may lead the child to grow up with the notion that relationships are not long-lasting. Children who are exposed to such frequent changes may develop a habit of neglecting social relationships mid-way,” explains Mr. Kiboro, who lectures Sociology at Chuka University.
His views are echoed by Dr. Philomena Ndambuki, a child psychologist. According to Dr. Ndambuki, social stability is important for the healthy growth of a child and if this stability is disrupted it may affect the child’s social, intellectual and emotional development. She warns that frequent changes in nannies may lead to regression in some children.
Indeed, Lucy has noticed that changing nannies has an effect on her children.

“Whenever I have a new house girl, my children refuse to eat or sleep during the day if I’m not around. My son cries uncontrollably and becomes overly clingy when I’m around. It always takes time for them to adjust to the new one,” she says.

Nevertheless, sometimes changing nannies is unavoidable. In such cases Edith Kanyingi of the Centre for Domestic Workers and Training Institute says that women should handle the departure of a house help properly to minimize negative effects on the child.

“Children are attached to their nannies so it can be terribly upsetting when the caregiver leaves. It is a loss to the child and it can greatly affect their emotional health,” she says.

Edith Kanyingi of the Centre for Domestic Workers and Training

Edith Kanyingi of the Centre for Domestic Workers and Training Institute

“Parents need to be aware of this, and also learn how to help their child in such circumstances. Help the child understand why the caregiver left, and if possible, allow for a sufficient transition period. Do not be quick to replace the former house girl, as the child may need time to grieve the loss.”

How to mitigate the effects

– Don’t be too quick to dismiss a house help for misdemeanors. Have some core qualities you expect and let the rest slide; for instance, if she is excellent with the child, you can overlook other minor shortcomings.

– Parting ways may be inevitable, so when you release a house help, explain to your child why his nanny has to leave. Also let the nanny bid farewell to the child especially if they had a good bond.”

*As I originally published in the Nation.

What is your experience? Do you have a high turnover of house girls? Have you managed to retain one house girl for years? What do you think of the experts’ opinions?

Mummy Tales is a platform dedicated to empowering its readers on different aspects of womanhood and motherhood. Read more motherhood experiences of Kenyan moms here. Connect with Mummy Tales on: FACEBOOK l YOU TUBE l INSTAGRAM l TWITTER

The Loss of My Unborn Baby -Gertrude Mungai Shares Her Painful Experience

By
Maryanne W. Waweru
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0

I’ve just come across a very heartbreaking blog post by Gertrude Mungai. She is the woman behind ‘Mombasa Raha’;). Gertrude is a ‘lifestyle designer on sex and relationships’ and I’m sure many of us have read her articles in newspapers, seen her on television shows and listened to her on the radio. She also hosts bridal showers, which I’m sure some of us have attended.

Sadly, Gertrude suffered a miscarriage two weeks ago. She lost her third child at 5 months pregnant. Totally heartbreaking. Gertrude has narrated the entire experience –from planning the (surprise) pregnancy with her husband, the early days of the pregnancy, and even naming the unborn child in consultation with her two sons –14 year old Mark and 11 year-old Albert. To the eventual loss of her pregnancy through a painful miscarriage.

Head over to her blog; Gertrude Mungai’s blog and read her story, in her own words.

We wish Gertrude and her family peace and comfort during this difficult time.

*top image courtesy Gertrude Mungai’s blog

On the Days you Suddenly Don’t Have a Nanny and You Desperately Need Help, Time Off Mummy is Your Saviour

By
Maryanne W. Waweru
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4

As a mom, have you ever been caught up in a situation where:

– Your housegirl failed to show up for work after her day off or holiday yet you must report to work the following day?

– When unexpected circumstances force you to suddenly let go of your housegirl yet you have no plan B?

– It’s your housegirl’s day off but yet you still need help with the kids? For example you need to go to the salon or run some errands –tasks which will be otherwise be quite tricky when you have to tag the kids along? Or when it’s the housegirls day off and you need to visit a sick relative in hospital and you can’t be allowed in with the kids?

– You need to go to a function and you need some extra help with the kids?

I remember one day about three months ago, my housegirl called me on a Sunday evening (her day off) and told me she had suddenly fallen ill so she wouldn’t return that day and would ‘possibly return on Monday or Tuesday if she felt better’.

*Wololo*.

I had no plan B. And I had lots of work to do that couldn’t be delayed. Since I knew about Time Off Mummy, I just called them up and let them know that I needed a baby sitter to come to my place the following morning at 8.30 am.

The following morning, the sitter arrived punctually and the first thing I did was to observe her interaction with my youngest son Ello who was 14 months old then. I was liked what I observed.

I then oriented her and gave her instructions on how to prepare the milk, fruits and lunch for him, which she did quite well. She fed him, cleaned his dishes, played with him indoors, and when the sun was out, took him out to bask. And when it was time to put him to bed, she did so. Basically she followed the routine I had laid out for her for Ello. The baby sitter stayed at my place till 4pm, time which enabled me to complete my work assignments (I work from home so I had locked myself up in the bedroom).

The reason why I was comfortable with the baby sitter is because I was aware of the kind of staff that Time Off Mummy have. Their babysitters are trained in first aid, communicate very well in both English and Swahili (spoken and written), have a minimum qualification of a form four certificate (the lady I got actually has training in ECD), have a valid ID, possess a certificate of good conduct and have undergone a thorough vetting process. Those are just a few of the qualities they have.

Also, and quite important is that the ladies behind Time Off Mummy –Dolphine and Medlene are personally known to me and I know they are very legit and don’t do shoddy business. They are moms with young babies themselves, so they completely understand the whole business of having a good child minder.

So incase you ever get caught up in one of those situations where you need that extra hand with the babies, then do give Time Off Mummy a call. I wasn’t disappointed with their services, and so they come highly recommended by me.

Have a look at the Time Off Mummy website and Like the Time Off Mummy Facebook page.

Time Off Mummy can be reached on 0726 -03 79 79 or 0732- 68 58 11.

Give them a try and feel free to share your feedback here.

Wanjiku Wanderi: “Breastfeeding Did Not Come as Easy as I Had Thought it Would.”

By
Maryanne W. Waweru
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11

Wanjiku Wanderi is a Kenyan-born mom raising her family in Denmark. She is a journalist, blogger, photographer and describes herself as having a ‘passion for all things Divinity, Africa and Journalism’.

When she was a new mom, Wanjiku did not have it easy during her first days of motherhood. She faced a challenge that many new mothers face –that of getting breastfeeding right. Though based in Denmark now, she was living in her hometown of Nyeri at that time. She offers us a glimpse of her breastfeeding experience then.

Wanjiku_Wanderi_P1

“I always thought breastfeeding was child’s play and I’d pick it up as soon as baby was out. Little did I know it was an art that needed to be perfected by both baby and mama. I had no one to show me how to make baby latch properly from the breastfeeding onset, and this resulted in me having extremely cracked nipples and engorged breasts. Breastfeeding became a nightmare – a blood, sweat and tears ritual. Literally! I would cry every time my baby opened his mouth to suckle.

Related: Signs of a Good Latch When Breastfeeding

My in-laws politely told me that if I chose to formula feed, it wouldn’t make me less of a mother. True, but I desperately needed to give exclusive breastfeeding a shot.

Thankfully, one of my friends came to my rescue and recommended that I see a lactation consultant, which I did. I contacted Susan Muriithi, a breastfeeding counsellor and lactation consultant at Toto Touch and who is passionate about helping mothers and children. Susan is based in Nairobi and after I spoke to her, she graciously drove all the way from Nairobi at 4am to where I was in Nyeri and she arrived by 6am.

Wanjiku_Wanderi

Susan taught me the ropes of successful breastfeeding. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t sought professional help. Perhaps the pain trauma would have inevitably led me to exclusively formula feed. All I know is that I am glad that I asked for help.

Following Susan’s advice, my son was able to exclusively breastfeed for five months. We overcame many challenges, including but not limited to: letdowns, expressing and increasing milk flow through the lessons that were taught to me by Susan.

I wish lactation consultants such as Susan would be dispensable to all nursing mother’s before they left the hospital with their newborns. It would save a lot of people the grief of poor breastfeeding techniques.

WAnjiku Wanderi3

To all the moms who are breastfeeding, I would encourage you to seek help and advice if you are experiencing any challenges. Don’t be afraid to reach out.”

You can read more of Wanjiku’s motherhood experiences and her reflections on various aspects of life on her blog here.

Susan Muriithi can be reached on susan@tototouch.co.ke

*Photos courtesy: Wanjiku Wanderi. 

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Motherhood Notes from a Kenyan Mom in the Diaspora: Lema is Now Crawling!

By
Maryanne W. Waweru
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1

Kenyan raised mom Nabubwaya Chambers told us about her pregnancy and birth experience, and more recently, about weaning him. Today, she lets us know how her son’s mobility is coming along. Nabubwaya lives in Texas with her husband and her nine month-old son Lema.

“August was a wonderful month for my family. Lema finally turned 9 months. He is cruising and crawling at neck breaking speed. This speed has dramatically increased to the point of me having to run after him after he sneaks past my watchful eye. This is usually my regular work out session. No need for the gym.

Lema is Crawling!

I have noticed that Lema has adapted two different crawling styles, which he professionally unleashes every time he is on the move. When he is playing and crawling on the carpeted area of our home, he crawls on all fours. On the other hand, when he moves to the hard floor, which I am sure is colder than the carpet, he raises his left knee and adapts the leapfrog crawl.

This one is a new one to us. We asked each other, “is this a new developmental phase?” Baba Lema and I have never seen any baby crawl like this before. We all have an idea of what a curious mama does on a daily basis. She googles and bings away at every new revelation. I googled for hours to ensure I had access to all the latest research findings of the leapfrog crawl. I didn’t know it was called the leapfrog crawl until I read my findings.

Separation Anxiety

We have also noted that separation and stranger anxiety that are common at this age have clearly been redefined. They have been taken to a whole new level. Lema is very attached to us so when our friends come over to visit, he clings onto both of us and seems a bit apprehensive. It takes a few tries of persuasion speech for him to warm up to our friends and allow them to carry or play with him. Amidst all these newfound milestones, Lema has made good friends and is certainly aware of his environment. He is very observant and seems to soak in every moment of the day that passes by. His favorite word of the day is Mama. We have been trying to get him to say Baba but he persistently repeats Mama. How about we just let him develop at this own pace?

I celebrated my birthday in August too; the very first one as a mother. Since one of the things that has been very elusive since I became a mom is sleep, my two boys  ensured I got extended hours of sleep during my birthday week, which was so wonderful and I enjoyed the surprises that filled that warm, lovely week.

Returning to School

I will soon be resuming my studies again, which will be my first time in school as Mama Lema. I am undertaking studies in Public Health, and I know that I am in for a life-changing process for sure. While the rest of the world sleeps at night, I will be busy juggling everything else like study time, part time work, and research. My days will definitely be spent with Lema and I know I will take his nap times very seriously. The proverbial nap and all the advices I was given by anyone who has gone before me will be faithfully applied.  I will nap when he naps. Even Dr. Oz’s 10 minute power naps will be observed. No jokes!

As we approach a new season, we anticipate God to guide us and see us through it. We are taking it a step at a time. I don’t think there is a manual outlining clear steps of how to raise your baby day by day. Nine months into parenting has allowed us the chance to fully realize that there is grace enough for everything we need. Cheers to all the hard work and persistence that parents employ globally.”

What I Have Been Up to of Late: Beyond Zero and Fistula in Kisii

By
Maryanne W. Waweru
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2

Those have been quite some very busy last three weeks for me! I have been involved in some projects that have taken up a huge chunk of my time -and good projects at that.

The first was involvement in some media work around the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta’s Beyond Zero Campaign. I’m sure you may have come across information that the First Lady has been delivering mobile clinics to various counties across the country.

Remember she ran two marathons earlier this year that helped her raise funds for her Beyond Zero Campaign? With these funds, she was able to purchase ten mobile health clinics. These clinics will help bring maternal and child health services closer to women and children –especially those in rural areas who have to trek long distances to reach health facilities.

Once delivered in these counties, the Beyond Zero mobile clinics are supposed to go round the county according to set schedules and essentially, ensure they reach all women and children in the county, penetrating into those hard-to-reach areas.

So far, the First Lady has delivered these clinics in the six counties of Taita Taveta, Narok, Samburu, Homa Bay, Baringo and Isiolo.

The First Lady’s agenda is to ensure that all 47 counties receive a mobile clinic each, meaning she has to raise more funds. She’s currently preparing for another marathon in March 2015 for this noble cause. Did you participate in the last marathon? If you did, then know that your money is helping save the life of a mother and child somewhere. :) I didn’t run myself, but I will make sure I will do so in the next one.

The second project I was involved in is about fistula. The Flying Doctors Society of Africa (FDSA) and the Freedom from Fistula Foundation (FFF) have just concluded a free fistula medical camp in Kisii which was from 6 – 12 September 2014.

Obstetric fistula is a childbirth injury that develops because of prolonged and neglected labour which becomes obstructed. Obstructed labor is when the baby’s head constantly pushes against the woman’s pelvic bone during contractions. This action prevents blood flow to vital tissues. If ceaserean section is not accessible, there occurs destruction of vaginal tissue leading to the formation of a hole (fistula) between the bladder and birth canal. This then causes urine to leak continuously through the hole. When the same damage occurs between the rectum and the birth canal, feaces leak continuously from the rectum to the birth canal. Labour is said to be prolonged if it takes more than 24 hours. Majority of the patients with fistula often report to have labored for three to five days at home under assistance of relatives, neighbours, or traditional birth attendants. In most of these cases (95 per cent) the babies are born dead. :(

Well, I had a chance to travel to Kisii to see what the medical camp is like and also meet some of the women. First of all, I must say that I was impressed by Kisii County. It was my first time there and I totally loved the place. It’s beautiful and green and Kisii town is quite abuzz with activity, I actually thought I was still in Nairobi.

Anyways, I spent some days at the Kisii Level 5 Hospital which is where the fistula medical camp was taking place. The hospital is nice, clean and it’s theatre looked more impressive than some of the private hospitals I have been to here in Nairobi.

So I got to meet some of the fistula patients. Many of them have lived for years with this debilitating condition and it was interesting to listen to them express their joy at the impending surgery and for those who had already been operated on, see the happy smiles on their faces as they looked forward to their ‘new’ life, a life which will no longer consist of them cutting old blankets, sweaters, tee-shirts and rugs to contain the leaking urine and faeces.

However, the case of one particular patient deeply disturbed me. It was that one of little four year old girl who had been raped by a 16 year-old neighbor. Both her front and her back had been ripped apart and she now had both vaginal fistula (vesicovainal fistula -VVF) as well as rectal fistula (rectovaginal fistula -RVF) meaning that she leaked both urine and faeces. All as a result of rape. A four year-old. Sad.

It was really a heartbreaking moment seeing that little innocent girl laying in that bed and listening to her 20 year-old mother recount the harrowing details of the rape incident. Too sad. :( So that has been the last three weeks for me, pretty busy but glad to be intensely involved in my foremost passion –writing maternal and child health stories.

Otherwise how have you been? I hope you have been well, #DeadBeatKenya aside.;)

20 Weeks Pregnant: How I Survived a Road Accident -Journalist Phoebe Okall

By
Maryanne W. Waweru
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0

Imagine being in a road accident while pregnant. It is every woman’s worst nightmare. Photo journalist Phoebe Okall narrated a chilling account of how she survived a road accident last weekend. I have worked with Phoebe on a couple of stories so it was quite nerve-jangling to read her story. Phoebe was involved in a road accident last weekend while on the beat in Meru county. Here is Phoebe’s narration of that incident.

“It is Saturday evening and the day has been packed with events spearheaded by Meru County Governor Peter Munya. Ironically, the last event of the day for Mr. Munya is a ground-breaking ceremony for a road in Kianjai, Tigania West. Little do we know that a road accident involving seven journalists was just moments away.

While the governor was still addressing the gathering at Urru Stadium, we decide, all seven journalists, to go ahead of him since he is about to conclude his remarks. We call our driver and start off on a murrum road. But just a few kilometres on, the driver loses control of the sport utility vehicle, which swerves five or so times as the driver tries to avoid hitting pedestrians — women and children walking back home from the stadium.They have no idea that our driver is trying to steer clear of them.

‘Like a Movie’

All this time, we are in shock, and no one utters a word. I want to close my eyes, but the photojournalist in me won’t let me. I want to see what happens next. It’s like a movie, yet unfortunately for us, things are real — even the pain.

In under a minute, the vehicle hits a heap of soil excavated to make room for a road drainage system under construction. It flies up in the air, literally, and lands awkwardly on the co-driver’s side. I was initially seated right behind the driver, which means I end up on top of all three other journalists sharing a seat behind the driver. Our vehicle is a seven-seater, so one journalist is on the co-driver’s seat and two more are at the back right behind us.

I am 20 weeks pregnant.

I plead with colleagues not to step on my belly, as there is panic at that time, and everyone wants to get out of the car. The driver gets out through the broken windshield and pulls out the journalist who was seating next to him.

A woman who had been sitting at the rear with my colleague, Kennedy Kimanthi, starts screaming: “Ken is stuck, Ken is stuck.” I am scared and the shock makes me feel tense around my stomach. The driver is calling on me to get out, but I want to see if there is a way I can help Ken. I get out and go straight to the emergency door at the back.

I call on the people crowding around the car to help me pull the door and we managed to open it. A man tries to pull Ken, but he realises he might break his hand, stuck between the ground and the body of the car.

Several men lift the vehicle and Ken is pulled out.

All the time we are helping Ken, a strange thing is happening: some people are stealing our laptops, recorders, mobile phones and money. The driver has to slap a man trying to make away with a laptop.

I take a few shots of the vehicle, even as I am feeling some pain in my head, right shoulder and abdomen. I am yet to be sure whether my baby is safe.

Luckily, Good Samaritans arrive in a car and help us get to Meru Level Five Hospital. Ken and another journalist, who has a neck injury, are the first to be taken away. The second car to arrive belongs to an MCA. Four of us hop in. The driver and one other journalist follow us in the last car.

At the hospital, all of us are treated and discharged.”

And that is Phoebe’s story, as originally published in the Nation. Reading her story gave me the shivers. Yikes!!

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