A sombre mood continues to engulf the home of Hellen Wendy in Mesesi village in Bomachoge Chache Constituency, Kisii County after she drowned in Canada while live-streaming herself swimming on Facebook.
The Canadian-based Nursing student was seen enjoying an afternoon swim last Thursday when the tragic event occurred after ten minutes into the live video. Her phone continued to record the events for about two hours before the live stream was stopped.
Wendy’s family is now appealing to well-wishers and friends to support them ferry her remains back home for burial.
According to Wendy’s father, John Kiyondi, her daughter completed secondary school at Itiero Girls High School but was unable to continue with her studies because the family lacked funds to further her education.
Kiyondi says that Wendy, a firstborn in a family of six, expressed her wish to travel abroad after completing high school despite starting a small business to meet the needs of the family.
“My daughter started doing small businesses to sustain herself and I noticed that she could do well in business. I supported her fully and even took her to a driving school with the hope that she could buy a vehicle someday and carry her goods easily,” he noted.
At the driving school, Wendy met a friend who had a similar dream of going abroad, and together, they visited the Canadian Embassy in Nairobi where her friend managed to successfully secure a study visa via a lottery program.
As a result, Wendy was motivated to keep searching for opportunities in Canada, and just like her friend, she managed to travel to Canada through a similar program in 2018.
Kiyondi, a small-scale farmer, notes that he was forced to sell his farm produce and acquire loans to be able to support his daughter’s travel expenses.
Wendy, who wanted to pursue a career in Nursing, settled in the city of Toronto where she successfully did a short course for three months and graduated. Afterward, she completed another pre-Nursing course and immediately enrolled in a Diploma Course in Nursing before her untimely death.
Her father points out that she worked multiple jobs to finance her education and send money back home to support her siblings adding that she has been funding a huge chunk of her sibling’s school fees.
Kiyondi says the devastating phone call informing him of his daughter’s demise came from one of Wendy’s colleagues who the local police had contacted in Toronto to identify the body after the tragic occurrence.
“I cried when her classmate informed me that my daughter had died. I felt everything was at a standstill because my family had reached a point where Wendy was supporting most of our family’s needs,” he recalls.
He says that he wishes the body of his daughter is brought home so that the family can bury her and find peace.
Kiyondi describes his daughter as a jovial, friendly, and easy-going person who loved to interact with people and lend a hand to those in need.
He notes her daughter was always in high spirits and was loved by everybody she interacted with as evident in the numerous condoling messages and phone calls he has received from her friends in Canada and back home.
His sentiments are echoed by Wendy’s mother, Alice Caro who adds that her daughter was determined to become a nurse and save lives at an early age since she loved to donate blood in high school.
“My daughter was able to fulfill her dream, but unfortunately, they have ended there because she has drowned,” Caro says before she is overcome with grief.
Anyone willing to support the family can send their contributions via 0722879316 (Number of Wendy’s father) or till number 838186 (Mwalimu Hardware) which belongs to the family’s business.
By Mercy Osongo
