Tumaini (Hope) Project

While on a visit to Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement, members of the Rotary Club of Kampala South found two sad cases of children whose livelihoods were being destroyed by the lack of adequate medical care. Joseph Mwangi 9 years, had rectal dysfunction while Blessing Wanjiro Shiro 4½ years, could not pass waste normally. 

In both cases, these children have become the source of ridicule and social stigma resulting from the injuries and biological malfunction respectively.  The Rotary Club of Kampala South seeks to restore pride, self esteem, respect and hope to the families of these two children which have broken because of their conditions.

Joseph Mwangi, 9 years old, was repeatedly defiled by a neighbour at the age of 2 in Eastern Kenya. He lost control of the sphincter muscle of his rectum and a nervous disorder system on the right side of his body as a result of the abuse. He has undergone a number of medical investigations at Mulago Hospital but all to no avail.  With little hope and no one to fund corrective surgery, he has survived on pain killers as disbursed from the hospitals and clinics over the last seven years.

Mwangi’s situation has led to low self esteem and isolation arising from negative and curious attention received from the community. This is reflected by the beatings he received from teachers at school (arising from mistaken identity of his situation) and worse was the ridicule from fellow pupils. As a result he is no longer schooling thus forcing the mother, Phyllis, to take off valuable time required to source for their family survival, and single-handedly teach him from home.

In addition, psychological trauma to the mother is further reinforced given the poor conditions they live in, not helped by the fact that she is a single mother, jobless and entirely dependent on institutional aid.

Advancements to date:

The Rotary club of Kampala South with the advice of Dr. Moses Galukande (Head of Medical Research) of International Hospital Kampala (IHK), embarked on a series of medical tests to establish the extent of neural damage and the chances for full rectal recovery

Ø  Mwangi’s had a catheter inserted to improve the containment of urine and enhance functioning of the bladder. This has since been removed since it was causing him a lot of discomfort.

Ø  An MRI scan was conducted to establish if there was trauma caused to the spine; the spine is out of danger

Ø  Another scan on the rectum, carried out to ascertain damage to the sphincters indicated no damage

Blessing Wanjiro Shiro; female, 4½ years old, was born with a blocked rectum (Hirchsprung’s Disease). She has undergone 5 painful but un-successful surgeries at Mulago hospital. Despite these interventions, she still passed stool through the various openings (rectum, abdomen and vagina) which were created to alleviate her problem but have been unsuccessful and was also suspected to have fistula. To mitigate this, a colostomy - a cut into the colon (large intestine) to create an artificial opening or "stoma" to the exterior of the abdomen - was performed while further investigations were pursued. Other follow up procedures expected to be performed are Biopsies, a pull-through and closure of the colostomy.

In the case of Shiro, though naturally born with this affliction, this situation shall lead to low self esteem and isolation arising from negative and curious attention received from the community as her condition gets to be known by more and more people.  Eventually, this will prevent her from attending school as her condition if maintained in her present environment will inevitably become a health risk to her and her neighbours. In any case, her mother will undergo similar anguish.

Recent tests conducted indicated that the suspected fistula might have closed, thereby enabling    Dr. Galukande to schedule the surgeries necessary for closure of colostomy.