Family’s best gift to man with mental illness

By Pascal Mwandambo

Willy Mumo Kasuki radiates exuberance. As he goes about his businesses in Voi town, Taita-Taveta County, his smile and confidence easily disarms people he interacts with.

Willy Mumo, wife Wavinya and their children. [Photos: Pascal Mwandambo]

He wakes up early and works hard to ensure that his three children and wife’s needs are well taken care of.

To a stranger, Mumo, 40, is just like any other man working hard to ensure he earns bread for himself and his family at his businesses — he runs two stalls where he sells household goods — at the Voi open and closed markets. However, Mumo has bravely borne a mental disability for more than 17 years.

Life’s offerings

This does not stop him from enjoying life’s offerings such as a decent income from his business and family. He lives by the mantra: Mental illness can be tamed.

If detected early enough and appropriate action taken, the patient need not be a burden to the society but a productive member of the family.

"My illness began when I had married and got my first born in 1995. Life took a sudden turn for the worse," Mumo says with a slight tinge of sadness.

As he groped for answers, his father-in-law came soon after and took away his wife together with the baby protesting that his daughter could not live with a mentally sick husband.

Mumo says that his elder brother picked him from Mombasa where he was staying and took him to live at his Voi home.

"He took good care of me and provided all the basic needs I required. I was not the violent type, though. The only thing I can remember is that I used to go through spells of memory loss and do things that I could not recall later," he says, slowly.

A year later, in 1996, Mumo felt strong enough to marry again. He married Susan Wavinya. But his mental illness once again threatened to break his marriage.

Wife cried a lot

"My wife used to cry a lot when her family members constantly reprimanded her for marrying a man with mental disability. Fortunately, Susan ignored the negative remarks that they made against us, and vowed to live with me no matter what."

The couple has three children — Peter, 14, Mary, eleven, and Bosco, seven.

He says his wife has been supportive, standing by him in trying moments.

"Were it not for her selfless care for me, probably I could have gone totally crazy, living in the streets like the rest of our lot who live off foraging for food in dustbins," he says.

Mumo is concerned about the way people with mental disability are neglected in the country.

"It’s painful to see many mentally ill persons being kicked out of their homes, denied food, shelter and clothes and made to live like animals. Such mistreatment only makes their condition worse and in turn they become a nuisance and a pain in the neck of society."

He is also concerned about the increase of people with mental disabilities in Voi town and its environs.

"Everyone including government and charitable organisations should step in and address this problem before it is out of control."

Mumo spends more than Sh3,000 every month on drugs. These include chloropromazine and benzhezol tables, which he takes daily. He also goes for modicate injections monthly.

"I follow the doctors’ instructions religiously while my wife ensures that I do not fail to take medication. She knows too well the consequences of failing to take the drugs."

Wavinya says she is happy that Mumo is a caring father and husband.

"I pray that one day God will miraculously heal my husband so that he can lead normal life without using any drugs."

The income from their business takes care of drugs, which are costly.