Residents marvel as blind children pluck out jiggers

By Munene Kamau

The 60 blind children alighted from their school bus at Kihumbuini village in Gatanga Constituency, Murang’a County, last Saturday with one mission in mind: To fight the jigger menace in the area.

Many children, with jiggers in their toes, hands, legs, fingers... and everywhere waited as these young helpers were led to the venue.

They were the day’s ‘honourable guests’ who were about to do something that had never been witnessed in this village before.

The area residents marvelled on seeing them. What were they coming to do here? They wondered.

Sang hearts out

Unperturbed,  the guests from the Thika School for the Blind started off by a brief prayer. They then sang their hearts out as the gathered people joined in.

When they were ready for the day’s duty, the children patiently waited for Ahadi Kenya Trust, a non-governmental organisation which spearheads eradication of jiggers in the country, to provide them with the necessary tools — gloves, soap, antiseptics and safety pins — for the work they had come to do.

They sat on plastic chairs and stealthily washed area residents who, for years, have lived with the parasites in their bodies and they have crippled some of them.

After washing the affected areas, the blind children went ahead to pluck out the jiggers. All this time, their faces shone with brightness. The residents watched in wonder.

Surprised, a resident, Beatrice Nyokabi, remarked: “Unless you observe keenly you cannot tell that these children are blind. I am ashamed that we people who can see have never, even for a single day, spared a moment to assist these jigger victims in our midst.”

Shame was the word that emanated from mouths of the villagers who The Standard spoke to at the event.
Nyokabi says poverty and lack of personal hygiene are to blame for the jiggers.

“Some of them are enemies of water. When they see water, the turn the other way.”

Challenge

Another resident, Stephen Wanyoike, said the compassion shown by the blind children was a challenge to able people.

“I have lived with these neighbours and I know they have a problem with jiggers but it has never occurred to me that I could assist them in any way.

“I have changed my attitude from now. In my own small way, I am going to do something for them,” said Wanyoike.

Ahadi Kenya Trust’s Stanley Kamau said the jigger menace was a hindrance to social–economic development as those affected could hardly eke a living as the pests had incapacitated them. He said the people had been reduced to paupers by the parasites because they can’t work in their farms or do business.

They just stay at home helplessly.

Ahadi’s goodwill ambassador and former Miss Kenya, Cecilia Mwangi, said Kenyans should seek their neighbours out and help them if they are in need.

Usually, people wait for someone else or a celebrity to initiate something before they act. But, says Mwangi, philanthropy can be done by anybody and at any time.

Doing something small, such as giving the thirsty water, or removing jiggers from a neighbour can make a huge difference in someone else’s life.

“Imagine how life would change if these children (from the Thika School for the Blind) regained their vision judging by the passion and vigour of doing charity work I have seen in them,” she said.