Emergency aid – both feet scalded

Saumu Kahindi is a cheerful child, like everyone else in the Mwanza village community. She is one of the daughters of Thomas Kahindi, a teacher at our school who also comes from the village.

Since there is no electricity in the bush, hot food can only be prepared on open fires. Unfortunately, accidents involving children at such fireplaces are quite common. Often, the injuries are minor, but sometimes they are serious and require long-term intensive treatment.

Saumu was unlucky enough to be standing near the fire pit when, for some inexplicable reason, the pot of hot liquid slipped off the fire pit. We don't know what caused it; whether it happened while playing or just like that... we don't know.

In any case, the boiling hot liquid poured over both of Saumu's feet and scalded them.

Saumu was then brought to our residence, where Markus Dietz examined his burns. It quickly became clear that this was a serious, life-threatening situation:

Both feet swelled up severely and the skin peeled away down to the subcutaneous tissue. There was a high risk of infection, which would probably have been fatal. For several days, the wounds were cleaned, treated with ointment, and freshly bandaged every day. But it soon became clear that this alone would not be enough to save Saumu's feet and his life.

That's why we took Saumu to the hospital in Malindi. Since it was a private hospital, we had to pay for all the treatment ourselves.

All the tests beforehand too. Saumu spent several weeks in the hospital. She was looked after by relatives there, because the hospital does not provide meals.

As an association, we have simultaneously launched a fundraising campaign to recover the costs we paid in advance.

Some donations have been received, but as of today (December 17, 2022), they do not yet cover the costs. A difference of just under €2,400 is still outstanding.

We also wrote to around 20 hospitals and clinics in Germany asking for donations of medical supplies such as bandages, painkillers, and ointments. Unfortunately, the response was not as great as we had hoped.

We received a single package —but also a doctor who specialized in burns and offered his help in the form of advice.

Phone calls were made to the hospital where Saumu was being treated, and knowledge was exchanged. We are very grateful for this and for the willingness to provide advice in further cases.

A call for donations of bandages was also launched on social media, which resulted in a number of small donations, but also brought us into contact with a woman in Hanover who has already sent two large packages of bandages, medicines, etc. This is a great help to us, and not only in Saumu.