A mother of quadruplets in Kisii County is appealing for support from well-wishers to enroll them in school in July this year when the all four year-olds are expected to join PP1 as per the Covid-19 pandemic school timetable.
Speaking to KNA at her residence in Mwembe estate, in the outskirts of Kisii town, Ms Beatrice Nyangaresa said the quadruplets who had raised excitement among area residents including local leaders when they were born on 3rd March 2017 at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital are now facing challenges of school uniform, shoes, bags and other basics for school enrollment.
This comes even as another mother excited Kenyans after she delivered quintuplets mid this month at the same hospital recently attracting promises of support from well-wishers led by local leaders.
Aged 29, Nyangaresa said she was struggling to bring up her five children with the first born being 9 years and she could barely afford food or clothing for them since she has to babysit them daily.
She explained that her husband does menial jobs and the little money he got could not meet all the basic needs of the first born Gloria Moraa, and the quadruplets Lenisar Nyarangi, liz Monyenye, Linzay Bosibori and Lizilay Begi.
Nyangaresa narrated how she had to go back to her matrimonial home to get nursing assistance from family members after she was overwhelmed with work leaving her with negligible time to even take a nap. “The babies called for different feeding and sleeping times day and night,” she recalled.
She said the pandemic had made matters worse as containing the children in a densely populated environment proved a tall order and could pose further challenges walking them to school alone, along the busy town.
“My husband lost his job in the middle of the pandemic forcing us to go back to our rural home so that our parents could provide for us and help me tend to them,” said Nyangarisa.
She however said she was grateful to God for giving her the now four girls and one boy, and hopes they grow up fast to reduce the moments when they fall sick simultaneously making it difficult to take them to hospital on motorcycles; the usual mode of transport in rural areas.
Nyangaresa’s sister, Jarida Omoke expressed empathy with her sister saying taking care of the children required two adults day and night but noted it was not possible as the husband had to go out to fend for the family and she could not afford to hire a nanny.
“My sister’s husband needs a good job to fend for this family,” implored Omoke as she appealed to well-wishers to support the family with sustainable income to soften the blow of the myriad of challenges they were facing.
By Jane Naitore and Dominic Ombui
