Healed: Teddy Namusu four decades of lost life,dignity and well-being resurrected after a fisitula operation at Kitovu Hopsitl. PHOTOS BY MOSES MUWULYA

By Moses Muwulya,Communications Officer

KYOTERA. Sheer happiness roofs the inner and outer person upon paying a home visit to Teddy Namusu at Kasaka,Kyotera District.

This exceeding pleasure has not spared her family relatives. Mostly fellow women, the residents, too, are also in jubilation.

And to Kitovu Mobile team, mostly the Grandmothers and OVC support project, coordinators, counselor and contact persons, their joy arguably exceeds! You will know why after reading the whole story.

This invaluable joy stems from Namusu’s successful fistula constructive surgery which ended her heart breaking period of 42 years of constant humiliating odor and wetness.

Obstetric Fistula is a severe and debilitating injury sustained by women during prolonged obstructed labor. The injury causes a woman to leak urine and /or feces continuously and uncontrollably from her vagina.

Including her 42 year old son, whose birth saw Namusu sustain this horrifying disease, Namusu says she hardly hoped to get rid of this shame

Magala poses for a photo with his mother.

But through Kitovu Mobile, the Lord who healed a fistula woman by just touching on His garment has again healed Namusu.

Through the Grandmothers and OVC Support, which ensures complete wellness of grannies and OVC under their care, the project ensures that grannies that need special medical care are attended to.

Being one of the project beneficiaries, Namusu,a member of Bakadde Kwagalana Solidarity Group, was linked to Kitovu Hospital for a fistula reconstructive surgery after the project coordinator learnt of her long time medical ailment.

But because of her age, it was not easy to convince her daughter and the son who take care of her.

It took the project counselor, Rachael Nakasango to use exceptional counseling skills and convince the duo to let their mother go for the surgery. They finally accepted and preparations were made to take her to the Hospital in Masaka

The joy of restoring dignity: Kizito,Rachel and Emma,on right,the   Kitovu Mobile Grandmothers and OVC social support project Sub-county,counselor  and coordinator,respectively, pose for a photo with Namusu during a home visit after she was discharged.

At the hospital, where she spent six weeks, Namusu says she had got scared and thought of shouting. “But I said, if I gave birth to a baby why not operation………”

Namusu with her grand children.

The operation was successful and the rest is now history. “My life, dignity and well-being are restored. I feel like a bouncing ball. I can play around, the stench is no more!” A visibly excited Namusu notes as her son and grandchildren laugh.

Her son, Frank Magala, 42, whose birth followed this sorrow, believes that since his mother braved the condition for such a long period of time, she had developed psychosis (severe mental disorder in which thoughts and emotions are so impaired) and could speak uncoordinated words”

But since the operation, he says he has realized that mental problem has also disappeared “We are surprised that she now speaks coordinated stories. Just look at the way she has shared her story” Magala tells the project team who had paid them a visit.

 Celebrations

The day she was discharged, Namusu,who makes banana fiber mats after empowerment  says: “I went to church, praised and thanked God. I sang loudly and scared people who shortly came to see what had gone wrong.

To their surprise,Namusu,  who was alone in the Church, was just giving mighty thanks to her Almighty. She says these just joined her and gave thanks to the Lord and as they went back to their homes, all they did was to share good news.

Crafts that Namusu makes after empowerment under Bakadde Kwagalana Solidarity Group.

This turned her home into a seasonal tourism center, her being the tourist attraction. Many people came to congratulate her, giving her home supplies; rice, maize flour and sugar.

Social Support: Project counselor,Rachel gives home supplies (Soya,Rice and Sugar) to Namusu. 

Recalling the ordeal

Namusu, who gave birth normally, says: “I didn’t know I had sustained injury after birth. Upon discharge, I just went home happily.

But the joy of getting a baby was short-lived as she started leaking leak urine and /or feces continuously and uncontrollably from her vagina.

“I went back for treatment, and came back thinking it had been handled but nothing was close to healing. I gave up and braved the sorrow for all these years.

Magala says his mother could be wet all the time and “Bees could stick on her because of the stench and wetness” We would lie to Kitovu Mobile if we said we can ever thank them enough.