A middle aged man from Murang’a County who had his leg amputated two years ago, is appealing to well-wishers to help him acquire a prosthetic leg.
46-year-old Stephen Ndichu Chege, from Kirigu-ini village needs the prosthetic leg so that he can continue doing menial jobs to fend for himself.
Ndichu who in spite of his disability, works as a laborer in his village, said that the prosthetic leg will greatly improve the quality of his life, as it would make his movements easier.
“I do not beg and I have been doing all the available jobs, including digging in people’s farms, which is a big challenge for me because I have to dig while seated,” Ndichu said.
Ndichu explained that what had started as a small pimple on his leg later became a big wound that led to the amputation of his leg.
“After suffering for many years I heard there was a free medical camp at a Maragua Hospital and that is where my leg was amputated,” he said.
According to Ndichu, a prosthetic leg would cost him more than Sh. 100,000, an amount he says he cannot raise on his own.
Ndichu’s sister-in-law, Jane Nyambura, expressed the relief they had as a family, when he finally got the amputation done for free, because they could not afford to pay for the procedure.
Nyambura also pleaded with well-wishers to help him get the prosthetic because it would improve his mobility, saying that Ndichu is a hardworking man.
“He has been doing all the jobs he can find, threshing maize from cobs and even digging in farms, which he does while seated,” she said,
Nyambura also observed that the leg would help Ndichu become self-reliant as he is now living by himself since his illness led to strains in his marriage that resulted in separation from his wife a few years ago.
Margaret Njoki, one of his neighbours pleaded to well-wishers to help connect Ndichu’s house to electricity and piped water, so as to improve the quality of his life.
Another resident of Kirigu-ini village, Mary Wanjiku Ngugi, also joined Ndichu in his plea to well-wishers, arguing that the new leg would greatly improve his movements as well as improve his productivity in the community.
By Purity Mugo and Anita Omwenga
