Where Do You Live?
I am Kenyan, but I live and work as a missionary in coastal Tanzania.
Tell Us About Yourself…
I am 26 years old and a social worker by profession. I love travelling, reading, blogging , singing and strumming my guitar.
How Has Spina Bifida Impacted You?
Well, when growing with spina bifida, there was very little information about it in our community back in Kenya. Most people thought it was as a result of my parents mistakes that they had done in their past. Others thought it was a curse. As a child it was hard for me to understand what I was going through and I had no one to explain it to me…. because from spina bifida I had some form of paralysis, incontinence, and later on amputation of my foot. Joining school was catastrophic for me as teachers never allowed me. However, I thank God because I managed to finish my university studies, and as a result of my challenge I decided to serve the Lord by working with children who have disabilities in coastal Tanzania.
How Do You Participate In Your Community?
My major role in Tanzania has been to empower our community in matters that regard different disabilities. For instance: prevention, care and management. I have achieved this through home visits, medical outreach, and seminars for parents. One of my biggest joys was when I was able to facilitate an integrated school in our village whereby children with disabilities could join a mainstream school that they were not allowed to join before. The other thing that keeps me going is the camps, workshops and conferences for youths with spina bifida (among other disabilities) that I have been able to facilitate in most East and Southern parts of Africa.
What Do You Tell Families With A New Diagnosis?
The first thing that I do with families of children with new diagnosis is pray with them, give them information about the diagnosis, and direct them where they could get help. Once that is successful, I always do a follow up just to make sure that all is well.