The story of Kakuko

I met Kakuko next to a hut made of sticks and mud. The hut was hand-built by Michael’s mother 2 years ago as she moved around, trying to find better land for herself and the goats. This homestead, consisting of two tiny huts and 11 people, is where most of Michael’s family currently lives and is part of his home village, Alale. I just figured that Kakuko was some neighbor girl, curious about the arrival of a vehicle (rare in those parts) and a white person. She was with two other girls, both of who were carrying babies fastened to their backs with long beautiful scarves. After resting for a couple of hours, Michael decided that we should climb a nearby mountain. So off we went. Michael, Peter, myself, and the three girls in tow. They knew the land much better than us and could navigate around the numerous thorn bushes with ease. We spent most of the afternoon on top of the mountain, and even were joined by several other children and two puppies J After we returned, a neighbor boy who is a goat herder came to me with a big open gash in his leg. I cleaned and bandaged it while the children watched. This act, which I have done so many times in my time here and especially in the 5 days I spent in the bush, started a chain of events I never thought possible.

At the top of the mountain

Kakuko with her sister (left)

Cleaning and bandaging the leg of the boy who herds Michael's family's goats

The following day, Kakuko came to the homestead looking for me. She had the same scarf tied around her head from the previous day, but this time she took off her scarf and showed me what looked like the worst ear infection I had ever seen. It was full of green pus and even her skin around her ear was becoming infected. I told her that I didn’t have the right medicine, but to wait until later that day (Michael was sleeping and couldn’t drive us then) and we would go together to find someone who could help. I also found out that she was an orphan; in that area, this means that there is literally no one else who can either afford or is willing to help her. She is no one’s child so she doesn’t matter.

Within an hour, she was nowhere to be found, and I started to panic. No one was sure where she was living, or how to find her. That night, Michael and I met with his friend Amos, who is the only nurse in Alale, and he told us to bring her into his clinic the next day. So the next morning, as we were heading out (still no sign of Kakuko), we didn’t know exactly what we should do. I was uncomfortable just getting medicine for her because it didn’t look like a normal ear infection. As we were driving to the clinic, we saw two girls standing on the side of road next to an anthill. One of them was her. She had been waiting for us to drive by for a long time. We found space in the car and continued on our way. Seven people in five seats, Kakuko gripping my arm to stop herself from falling and grinning at me the whole time.

Amos, who started the only clinic in Alale. A very good man.

Waiting at the clinic

At the clinic, we found out that she has some kind of growth inside her ear. It is uncertain if the infection caused the growth, or the growth caused the infection. What is certain is that it is completely covering her eardrum, severely affecting her hearing and causing pain deep inside her ear. Eventually she will have to have an operation to remove the growth. We got some medications, and Kakuko got a tetanus shot. The nurse told me that someone had to clean her ear and put new cotton in it every 3 hours, so we decided she would stay with me (and by “stay”, I mean sleep in the truck in the driver’s seat while I slept in the passenger’s seat J). The next day, we were planning on leaving to come back to Kapenguria and it was then we decided that Kakuko would come with us. If she stayed, no one would be able to help her with medication and she would continue to suffer in silence. The infection had started last October, but she had no way of accessing health care until she saw me with a simple first aid kit, bandaging a leg wound. She had been resigned to the pain for the past seven months and was losing her hearing as a result.

We located the family who was letting her stay with them, and they told us to take her as they couldn’t help anyways. We told them about Daylight, and that she could stay and go to school, and they agreed. They told us about what had happened to her family. Her father was killed by a neighboring tribe, Karamoja, in a cattle raid sometime in the late 90’s. At the time, her mother had been pregnant with Kakuko. After her father’s death, her mother remarried a man who also died a short time later. And then, early last year, her mother died suddenly of what seems to have been malaria. She is what is known as a “double orphan” in the Pokot tribe, and is exactly the kind of child that Daylight seeks to help. It was then that I knew the reason I came here. She is the reason. She is the why. I decided to help sponsor Kakuko. I called my sister Amy, told her Kakuko’s story, and immediately she agreed to be a co-sponsor. We also gave her an English name (most people in Kenya have an English name in addition to multiple other names). In Pokot, names are chosen based on the way or place of the child’s birth. Michael was born next to a river named Kimpur, so his name is Michael Kimpur. The name Kakuko means that she was born with the help of her mother’s mother. The only reason for this situation in the tribe is if the father is already gone. The name is devoid of hope and symbolizes the endless pain she has experienced her entire life. Amy, Michael, Rachel, and I chose the name Grace because it was truly an act of grace that we found each other.

The older woman who was taking care of Kakuko

Finding out about what happened to Kakuko's family. This man was the person who gave permission to us to take Kakuko to Kapenguria.

On the road to Kapenguria

In the last few days, we have been here in Kapenguria, helping Kakuko to adjust to life outside the bush. It has been a pretty funny experience. From going to the bathroom, washing her hands, even entering other peoples’ homes without an invitation to come in, Kakuko has a lot to learn about living here! There are so many differences between living in Alale and living in Kapenguria, and she has been so fascinated and curious at everything she sees. She truly is a fish out of water at the moment. She does not have any belongings; even the clothes she was wearing have to be returned to Alale since they were borrowed from a neighbor. So yesterday, we went shopping and she was able to own clothes for the first time in at least a long time. We also took Kakuko to meet some Daylight students and teachers. She seemed pretty shy at first, especially since she doesn’t speak Swahili, only Pokot, but she is a fast learner and has already shown that she can adjust quickly.

In her new clothes. She was so excited about them!

We have also been to see a couple of doctors here, and have had to travel to three different cities to find the rare antibiotic she needs. Her ear has not shown much improvement, and I have continued to clean it every 3 hours and give her medication. Today we will go to a specialist in Kapenguria to see if there’s anything more that can be done at this time.

My favorite picture, taken on the way to her new home.

UPDATE: This morning, as I woke Kakuko up to clean her ear, I noticed that I couldn’t see the growth at all! It must have burst during the night, which means she won’t need an operation. We will still see the doctor today to fully clean everything and get more medication for the infection, but as of now, Kakuko says she can fully hear and there is no more pain. If she would have stayed in Alale, she never would have healed and would lose her hearing completely.