Health

He Battled Without ‘Shield’ and Returned In Agony

 By Erick Diang'a

Unlike many of his comrades, he was well built and healthy. Many admired his personality, nature and charming smile that propagated nervousness among the feminine gender. He was the kind who featured in most publications-any female freelancer would seek his opinion even on issues he had no knowledge about. Nonetheless, men weren’t in good terms with him because he could make an angel disengage her betrothed partner and lay quietly in his ‘box’. Don kept his ‘box’ full but never bothered to seal it as he still dared for more. 

When he received a phone call from his commanders concerning a battle that he normally confronted in a dark jungle, he packed hurriedly. He wore his best night war clothes, sprayed perfume and smeared oil on his body ready to join the troop. He placed the ‘inseparable gun’ in its sheath and ensured that his two ‘indivisible rubber bullets’ were intact. The ultimate procedure was to gulp a pick-me-up or booster if you like.

The nature of the war compelled him to accomplish the above-mentioned course of action. There were always characteristics considered by the opponents; victors had to be smart in negotiations, charming in appearance and full in the side pockets. Your leather wallet had to prove its worth in content. Additional qualifications would include owning a driving license, a license whose owner possessed a personal jeep. Don was in the front list of this category so he had nothing to worry.

Unfortunately, he committed an irreversible crime. The misdemeanor that resulted to his fate! He forgot to carry his ‘shield’! That was his greatest weakness in his battle life. 

 His misconception was that his rivals were super humans who would subject his life to little harm. The opponents looked friendly and declined to openly disclose their harmful tactics and weapons. In fact, females dominated the rival troop. However, the few men who belonged to that squad acted in a similar way the ladies did; they were lenient to kinds of Don, wore studs, had tattoos all over their skins and some pleated hair. The only difference was that this minority group could offer their rivals cash, body and soul in exchange for ‘homo battle’.

It was time for the soldiers to converge  for a drink (concoction) to pave way for war. At that point in time, the law safeguarding the battle gave all the soldiers the privilege to mingle with their foes. The two conflicting parties were at liberty to exchange contacts, dance together drink together and provoke another intimately.  Tusker, Guinness and their friends were to act as binding concoctions.

Being a Friday, Soldiers filled the camp. Don the warrior loved the ceremony and kept bragging about his fascinations towards female soldiers. The party went on but agitations rose from the abuses thrown by Don under the influence of bottle contents. The rule didn’t allow anyone to engage in fights emanating from anger.  Ironically, the ‘war’ could only take place after creating a relationship through winning one’s heart. In the jungle and its surrounding territories, forcing one to ‘war’ was punishable by law so soldiers chose the right channel to have legitimate and romantic wrestle. Beer spared no table edges. Don ensured that no table exposed its poverty. He justified the poverty eradication by unzipping his leather wallet consequently proving to the counterman his financial might.

The energy required to begin the war was within every soldier. Don chose a female rival soldier and both separated from the rest of the troop. They dashed to a safer site for war to discover their strengths and privacy. Little did he know that the opponent had a lethal weapon that could ruin his health perpetually.  Her weapon was in a permanent and private sheath known best by her.

He forgot his ‘shield’ but he had a few seconds to counterattack. The concoction  charged him and he feared nothing except instant death that he thought less about. No energy and intellect to borrow a shield from friends. No minute to spare since his carcass was burning. He emptied his sheath and shot his woe angrily twice in a row. The opponent cried in pain but he kept pulling the trigger. The two rubber bullets met the target making Don proud of himself. The concoction proved to him that battling without a shield was equally successful. 

They both felt exhausted and laid on the ground. He knew that rubber bullets were not brutal to victims. After all, he used it on a soldier who understood the consequences well.

Trauma befell Don when sober a day after the careless attacks. He couldn’t sleep either, he smelled danger in the air. The charming person decided to visit health professionals to decide on his fate. Counselors advised him to check back after three months for another blood test. Ultimate revelations confirmed that the hidden weapon used by the opponent poisoned him. 

To trim down poison impact, daily dosage was the last resort. He took the advice and requested the UN, WHO and NACADA to preach the use of protections in every battle. Not only did he plead with the organizations to emphasize on protection but also appealed to fighters to be sensitized on healthy approaches to war.

Plight of Orphans and Vulnerable Children.

Dark Encounters of Street Urchins Before Liberation 

By Erick Diang'a

I have been to a number of orphanages to establish the living conditions of children before they are accommodated. Many a times, people have the pleasure to visit such homes to give donations and emotional supports but they fail to query background profile of the victims.

Being a Non Governmental Organization volunteer back in 2007-2010, I acquired some know-how to interact with children to understand their challenges in a positive manner. It starts with designing gestures and wordings to conform to theirs (rapport building). If you incompetently conduct this, your results could be null or based on their imaginations and opinions rather than facts.

These children have been called names: street urchins, chokora, orphans, wanderers, beggars, vagabonds, bastards and so on. Yes, the name could suit an interest but have you tried to comprehend where the names were derived? Whatever your finding, that is where the problem began. Concisely, they are seeking refuge and rescue in response to the misconducts, wrath and evictions facilitated by initial parents or guardians.

When you make an appointment as a group or individual to pay a visit at an orphanage, the children are briefed and kept alert by the caretakers prior to your reception. They would be gathered at a place to clap and welcome you in unison. However, instinct and selflessness will demonstrate to you the sorrow deep within the minor’s faces. If these aforementioned characteristics aren’t engraved in your heart, you might disdain the sufferings inside the orphanage and regard your ‘picnic’ a success because after all you went because you had no errands at home or just wanted to relieve stress or to meet the demands of a company.

 In our current charity tour to Nakuru as an association, we made a stopover at a Children’s Home. A young girl, who sought anonymity, learning tailoring opened her heart and revealed how she fell a victim of incest. None within the association noticed my desire to touch a heart - I secluded myself from the crowd and had adequate objective dialogue with the girl.

 “I came from school one afternoon and picked a bucket to fetch for water downstream. Back from the stream, I found my father seated and asked me why I was late from the river. He suddenly turned wild and ordered me to lie down still. He overpowered me and took off my clothes forcefully. I kept shouting for help but warned me to shut up before he kills me. He had an intercourse with me and locked the door behind him leaving me in the house alone. He was already drunk and I knew he was going for more drinks. At 8PM, I struggled to open the window to escape and ultimately succeeded.  I took off to our neighbor who took me to this children’s home for counseling. To date, father is in police custody and I’m progressing well however only the doctor and I are certain of my HIV status. I was the only child in my family and my mother died in 1994 after refusing to take ARVs. She disclosed her status during a domestic quarrel with my father.” She painfully shared it with me.

That was a testimony amid millions either told or kept secret. Every child in a home has a purpose for belonging to that family irrespective of age, gender, tribe or race. In such situations, acceptance is the only solution to eliminate their trauma and distress for a faster healing of their souls and body.

According to the Manager of the facility, one of the girls was brought to the orphanage by the authorities after her mother attempted to poison her. The mother was taken to prison but the father’s whereabouts has not been established.

 Women Crisis Centre is one of the programmes the facility runs to make certain women have a chance and value in the community. Women forums are held to enlighten sexual health and how to sever the barrier created between them and children in terms of passing sexual information. The centre is also responsible for offering solutions to domestic violence and counseling adults of varied ages.

 When I visited Good Samaritan Children’s Home and Rehabilitation Centre in Mathare Slum years back, I spotted similar episodes. A boy was raised in the streets of Nairobi although his mother wasn’t in a position to take care of his needs so mother advised him to look for a place to stay. The mother had planned to relocate to a far distant town and informed the son of the same.

Some children arrive at the homes while mentally ill. Mama Mercy of Mathare facility told me of a child who fed on her own long call. It was heart touching to realize that she had been to the dangerous and hazardous act for the past years before being rehabilitated. Mama Mercy coached her and she eventually desisted from the act. 

Mitigating HIV/AIDS pandemic among rehabilitated children has been a snag because most childbirth in rural and semi urban areas is carried out at home or on streets. This has consequently thwarted Prevention of Mother To Child HIV Transmissions -PMTCT. HIV testing in the facilities should be a statute and be implemented to enhance the longevity among vulnerable children and youths. 

Children re much social and engaging thus at the end of your visitation, they feel like leaving with you. When she/he stands back watching you go, perhaps mixed feelings rekindle her past ordeals. Maybe her parents were killed in her presence and the happening still fresh in her memory. It’s of essence to promise them a revisit or offer them something that would distract their attention from your departure.