Meet Caroline Wanjiru; 22, who dreams of becoming a computer engineer-cum-journalist some day. Caroline is the first born of a family of four. Caroline needs surgery on her eye, leg and skin to restore her to normal life. Although Caroline’s story of trauma intensifies with that recent bomb blast which rocked her life in 2012, her misfortunes date as far back as the post-election turbulence which shook Kenya in 2007.
Back then, her family lived in Uasin-Gishu County. With the evictions, Carol had to stop schooling at form two to live in an IDP camp. In 2008, Caroline’s mother, a single parent, relocated to Nairobi to work as a house help in Imara Daima Estate. The earnings were insufficient to sustain her family in Nairobi, so she sent Caroline to Nyeri, to live with friends. Caroline had to repeat her studies from form one. Upon seeing the frustration and hardships the family was undergoing, Caroline’s mother’s boss offered her a room in Starehe Constituency where the family still lives.
Four years later, Caroline completed her secondary education successfully, and saw her dream career come closer. Little did she know that another affliction lay around the corner. Due to the economic millstone hanging around her mother’s neck, the brilliant young girl decided to try and supplement the family’s earnings. A spate of job seeking landed her employment at a clothing stall along Nairobi’s Moi Avenue.
The Monday of 28th of May, 2012 will remain a historic day in Caroline’s life. She had just arrived at her place of work at Assanads House Stall Number 9, where she worked as a sales girl. A brief two months into her employment, Caroline recalls how well business had kicked off that morning, until 1 pm when a bomb explosion rocked the building. The young girl remembers seeing a tall bearded man in casual clothing approach her workmate, asking to buy a T-shirt worth Kshs 1,000. Under the pretext that he did not have enough money on him, the man requested to leave his heavy bag behind, so as to withdraw some money from the nearest M-pesa agent. Within a few seconds of his stepping out of the building, the explosion that rocked the stalls was earth-shattering.
The next thing Caroline remembers is waking up at a Kenyatta National Hospital ward, after fourteen days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Her body had sustained 78% burns from the blast. Her fellow sales girl did not survive the experience. Watching Josephine lose her life in the bed right next to hers added to Caroline’s psychological trauma.
It has been a year now, of ordeal after ordeal, in and out of hospitals. Besides surgery to correct damage on her face and legs, Carol who walks with the aid of crutches still needs urgent surgery on her left eye which got partially burnt. Her leg needs surgery for the oesteomyelitis (infection of the bone marrow) on the left tibia and fibula (bones in the leg) which snapped in two and shattered considerably and so have not yet set back as they ought to. Her skin needs surgery to correct the hypertrophic and keloidal scars, which are currently not only disfiguring but also cause her a lot of itchiness on her face, hands and legs. According to her doctor, Caroline is likely to lose sight in one eye, and her leg, unless attended to soon.
Carol now needs 3.5 Million shillings according to her doctors to enable her undergo treatment abroad, in India. The family is calling on well-wishers to help them save Caroline’s eye and leg. Caroline is 22 years of age. Her story has been featured in the GBS TV Station, the Daily Nation Newspaper, and Kameme FM Radio station. A medical appeal is now being sent out to well wishers:
Please send your Donations to:
CAROLINE WANJIRU NJUGUNA MEDICAL FUND ACCOUNT
KCB – A/C No. 1142193659 – PRESTIGE BRANCH, MOI AVENUE
EQUITY BANK – A/C No. 0150161126018 – MAMA NGINA BRANCH
For those outside Kenya, please use Poapay or Western Union, or Wells Fargo Account Number 2000026874629 New Children of Covenant (NCCIF)
And text or call the numbers below or Mama Caroline# 011-254-726-741-629 or my #011 254 711 743 673
MS. ANASTASIA MATHENGE JOHN W. NJUGUNA
CHAIRPERSON COORDINATOR
TEL: 01154 722 529 316 TEL: 011254 721 311 830
