 2009-01-03 Let's Go Skiing
Although the word of winter seems to covey anything but warmth, I believe the idea of going skiing is sure to kindle the passion within many people. Today we will talk about skiing. | |
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 Hello and welcome to this edition of  Africa Express here on China Radio International. I'm your host, Wei Tong.
Fistula is a childbirth injury that is usually caused by several days of obstructed labor without timely medical intervention to relieve the pressure. The baby usually dies and the woman is left with chronic inability to control movements of the bowels or bladder or both. That condition often brings the pain of being abandoned by a husband and family and shunned by the community. Sarah Omega Kidangasi from Kenya knows that first hand. One of nine children and an orphan since age eleven, she was hospitalized for depression this year. In May, after twelve years with fistula, she had successful surgery and now wants to ensure that women know that treatment is available. UN Radio's Bissera Kostova, picks up the story with this courageous Kenyan woman.
KOSTOVA: Can you tell me about your own experience that prompted you to become an advocate?
KIDANGASI: In 1995 I was raped. The rape was my first experience with a man that led to unwanted pregnancy. Then being taken to the health facility it took long due to that distance and there, due to the doctors negligence, I was left pushing for more than 18 hours before I was transferred to another health facility. Due to lack of oxygen in that very facility so originally, in another health facility which is a mission hospital, the baby had already died so I just went for a caesarean section so I gave birth to a still born baby boy of about 4.8 kilograms. Then after three days of post delivery, I realized that I was leaking urine, and then was the time that I was told that I got a fistula.
KOSTOVA: And what happened after that, did you get treatment right away?
KIDANGASI: No, it wasn't possible because on that very facility, I was told that I can seek further medical assistance and I was told that at the moment, at that health facility there were no doctors, there were no specialists. So I was told I could get the financial for a doctor from abroad to come and repair the "thing". So due to my financial status, or our family financial status, we couldn't afford that so I was just discharged and I went home in that condition.
KOSTOVA: So when did you finally get treatment?
KIDANGASI: It is after 12 years with the condition. It is this year in April that I suffered depression in the facility that I was taken. I was suffering depression. I was told that now the fistula treatment is there and it's a bit affordable. So that is now in May that I went for repair in the same health facility.
KOSTOVA: So how did you cope in the meantime, what was your life like?
KIDANGASI: It was horrible really, it was unbearable. It's hard to explain because people cannot understand it. And it is something that I wouldn't want to dream that there are ladies or a woman somewhere in the same condition.
KOSTOVA: And when did you start speaking out about this?
KIDANGASI: Immediately after being discharged, I had a heart for these women because I realized that if at all I suffered for 12 years, then there must be so many women back in our countries suffering the same way I suffered so I decided to go public and talk about it.
That was Sarah Omega Kidangasi, a young woman from Kenya who survived fistula and is now an advocate to ensure that other woman know that treatment is available for this condition.
With that we conclude this edition of Africa Express. If you would like more details about the program, you can log onto our website at: www.crienglish.com. Your comments and suggestions are also welcome by email as well, please write to: africaexpress@crifm.com. I'm Wei Tong. Hope you can tune into our program again next time, bye for now!
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