Mwingi granny pleads for help after daughter abandons sick child

Ngina Nzuu, a 53-year-old woman from Barani village in Mumoni subcounty, Kitui, is struggling with raising her daughter's three children where one of the grandchildren has a medical condition.

Addressing the media at her home, Ngina said three years ago, her daughter who was married, sneaked back into the compound and left her three children while she was away.

"On that particular day, I was not at home and when I returned, I found my firstborn daughter had left her three children in my home including her firstborn son, who has a medical condition," she said.

She said since then, she has never heard from her.

Ngina who also has three children of her own, is now calling on well-wishers, the government and charity organisations to help her seek treatment for her grand child, adding that she is also struggling to provide for the children as she can no longer go to work because she has no one to leave the sick grandchild with.

She said her daughter gave birth to twins back in 2012 and one developed a condition at only three months.

"He cannot talk, sit, stand, or do anything by himself. I even feed him and take him to the toilet. His anus also has issues and his lips look burnt," she said. 

She said she took him to Katse Dispensary, within Mumoni subcounty and was referred to Mwingi Level 4 hospital but could not manage to go as she didn't have the bus fare.

Ngina added that her grandchild has inflicted so much pain and misery in her life and that she has also been unable to provide for her three children and her three grandchildren.

"I have been so stressed. I have no money to take him to the hospital. Drought is here with us and we barely eat. I plead for help." 

Mumoni area is known for green gram farming but following rain failure for several seasons, farmers have nothing to harvest. Ngina said she cannot leave the 10-year-old grandson with her neighbours to go seek informal employment saying the neighbours are scared of him.

She also called on her daughter, Zipora Syombua Ngina to come back home and assist her to take the child to the hospital or bring food to the family.

"I really yearn to see him get well, I have shed so many tears, I'm pleading with people of goodwill to help me wipe my tears," she said.

Eunice Kithumba, a community health volunteer attached to Katse Dispensary said she visited Ngina's home conducting Malezi Bora programme in the area and said the child needs special care which her grandmother cannot afford.

"Ngina and who is a single parent needs help as the child cannot be left alone for fear of harming himself," she said.