Life has not been easy for 64-year-old mother of nine, living in abject poverty in Kaptele village in Bureti sub-county, Kericho.
She is appealing for help from well-wishers to support and care for her identical twin daughters who were born with cerebral palsy.
Speaking to KNA at her mud walled house, Ruth Koech, said she has lost all hope of seeing her 27-year- special needs children access medical services and education as she is not in a position to provide for their basic needs.
The elderly widow narrated that her daughters who look alike cannot walk unaided or attend to their basic grooming needs without help as they have abnormal muscle tone and posture and have episodes where they display aggressive behaviour.
“My identical twin daughters Chebet and Chepkoech were born on 18 September 1994. I have nine children and the twins are my seventh born. I love my special children and I am compelled to work from Monday to Friday for two hours picking tea from neighbours’ tea plantations where I make Sh150 which I use to buy foodstuffs. I am often forced to lock them inside a room with nothing inside because they have episodes of aggressive behaviour and if they come across anything they will fight and hurt themselves,” she divulged.
“I feed, bath, and cloth them. Even during their menses, I have to take care of this because they cannot manage alone. My other children are all doing menial jobs in Bomet and in Eldoret and when they come home, they seldom bring anything tangible because they too are struggling to make ends meet. My neighbours assist when they have any food stuffs and soap to spare,” said Koech.
Mama Koech knows too well that her twin daughters cerebral palsy has no cure, further revealing that she discovered the condition when they were two years old, noting, all her efforts to see them live with great autonomy and independence has been quite a challenge.
“I live with my daughters on my small parcel of land after selling off an acre in 2006 for Shs 120,000 for their medical needs at Tenwek Mission Hospital in Bomet County. At the time, they were eleven years old. I did not give up and in 2009, I took them to Kericho County Referral hospital from where I was referred to Nakuru Provincial General Hospital. I had enrolled them at Cherera special school in 2011 but they dropped out of school due to lack of school fees. All efforts to see them get modest medical services and education have been futile and I have left all to God,” she says, adding, her husband died in 2004 and she lives on a 0.05acres parcel of land.
The widow is now appealing for medical and financial assistance to enable her enroll the twins in a special school where they can learn personal independence and get assisted to develop social skills.
For assistance Mama Koech can be reached through phone number 0727 703477.
By Sarah Njagi
