Jiggers Attack in the Beautiful green of Mombasa County!

Mdengerekeni - Beauty and pain in one pail

A perfect mix of a hilly green land and the hot afternoon sun on a Christmas day may begin to usher joyful ideas into the heart of those who long for adventurous walks up and down the blessed hills and valleys of Mdengerekeni village in Bamburi ward, Mombasa County. The enticing green scenery draws you to think that the village would be showering the entire Coast of Kenya with fresh food throughout the year.

On a closer look, Mdengerekeni is actually not strong in the agricultural sector; reasons being that the village experiences seasonal rains, rivers are out of sight and the little water available is from slow flowing streams and boreholes that long to dry even with the least of the heat from the renowned Mombasa sun. The cracked dry ground is a great warning that the rains haven’t visited this land of late. Now you wonder, how about the rush green? I call it potential in the making but jiggers in the ‘coming’.

Right in the midst of this mix, are the residents who with soft tones plead for help. Not knowing whom exactly to turn to; they don’t seek handouts for they are a people willing to learn. They are a people who need suitable education to solve a problem that is sinking them into a hole of humiliation; a menace in the making. Deriving this from Suluhisho Youth andElderly Empowerment, a community based organization led by a calm gentleman, Mr. George Riri, “The people are very receptive to education” upon asking him what exactly the people needed.

George and his colleagues from the Suluhisho CBO have one thing in mind; to bridge the gap. The youth and the elderly here have a dire need to connect to the outer world, borrow ideas, build on them to suite being a solution to the problems surrounding them and implement. They need to connect.

A painful encounter with the parasites!

Jiggers terror

Irene Shisubili, the CBO’s secretary was the first to identify the jiggers’ infestation on one of the children’s hands and feet in the Mdengerekeni Village. Her heart couldn’t rest at the thought that a teenage boy named Abel had to be out of school due to the attack by the jiggers. His hands and feet were a ghastly sight. “How could anyone be able to eat, walk or even attend a school in that state?” She wondered. Her fears were confirmed when she found out that Abel could hardly hold a spoon hence he had to be fed. Obviously, the local school wouldn’t allow him back to school, he needed immediate medical attention. But again, his mother Mrs. Priscar Tsuma Mnazi didn’t have any knowledge on getting rid of the jiggers that were so unkind to her son who at the time was looking weak and sickly.

Irene convinced her team to embark on getting Abel back to good health and finally back to school. This wasn’t a simple task; the team needed the right equipment to fight the enemies. She felt that she couldn’t watch the suffering of the young lad and immediately began removing the jiggers from Abel and his little sister’s feet without the gloves! Risky business.

Irene just had to take the risk!

As the Suluhisho team carried on the investigation as to what extent the jiggers had terrorized the villagers, they were shocked to find out that there were more than a few homes with the problem. They had to do more with the little they had. Juma Kapsa, a medical expert and also a member of the Suluhisho team helped them acquire some of the necessary items needed for the war; hydrogen peroxide, surgical spirit, diazinon, Dettol antiseptic, liquid soap, gloves, cotton wool, water basins and jericans in order to set Abel and one of his younger sisters free from the jigger attack.

One of the village elders Mr. Maganzi Ndoro along with Suluhisho’s projects mobilizer Simon Katana went into a “Hunt down the jiggers” mission; they were not to rest until the last of the enemy was brought into absolute surrender. Alongside the team, Mr. Kiilu Munyau their treasurer had to seek financial help from empathizers and ensure that the funds were well managed in order to get the jiggers to the point of surrender.

The Suluhisho Youth and Elderly Empowerment CBO has taken up the mission not only to help the villagers eliminate the jiggers from their systems, but also to educate them on how to ensure that the jiggers do not return. Away with the jiggers! Through an initiative branded, “The Mwanafunzia initiative” Suluhisho as a CBO has vowed to help the villagers learn how to live with their domestic animals in a way that they fleas and ticks that may have attacked the animals don’t attack them too. As it is now, most of the families in Mdengerekeni village protect their chicken by sharing the same house with them. They truly care for the birds but it comes at a price.

Looking at their slogan “Suluhisho ni kuwajibika sio kulaumiana” meaning “The solution to the problems is to take responsibility not to pass on blame” it is clear that the CBO has no intention of participating in the ‘who did not do what’ blame game as is common in Kenyan Politics. Suluhisho CBO believes in sharing what one has in the spirit of brotherhood and empowering the youth and the elderly with the more meaningful and suitable education that will bring in forward-thinking growth into the community. Away with petty talks, it is time to get into action.

What is your contribution?

The Mdengerekeni community needs suitable education for the youth and elderly who for now seem to have lagged behind in embracing the technology being used in Agriculture in order to fend for themselves. Poverty is not a vocabulary here, it is a norm. But shall you and I stand with hands akimbo and point fingers or shove lips? Absolutely not!

It takes responsibility

 Beginning with Mombasa County, Mr. Mahmoud Noor, a gentleman who believes in servicing the community and giving back to the same upon being contacted by the Suluhisho team took it upon himself to visit the community. He had a lifetime experience walking up and down the hills and valleys of Mdengerekeni just to make sure that he had a true picture of the need. He went on to help the team to wash the children’s feet at Mrs. Tsuma Mnazi’s homestead. But he didn’t stop there. Mr. Mahmoud decided to mobilize the youth leaders in Mombasa and Kwale County to join him in a visit to the same village again, this time on Christmas Day! Is there a better way to celebrate Christmas?

Winning in the spirit of togetherness

As the Suluhisho team has dabbed Mrs. Tsuma Mnazi, the village ambassador being the first person who defied the law of shame and came out seeking help, she desires to help spread the word on jiggers extermination. If she can step forth that far, what will you do? 

We went, we saw – the question is, are we here for the victory? Shall we conquer or be conquered?

compiled by magwealth