For a three-year old girl from Mahuria village in Kandara, Murang’a County she knows nothing about 8 hours of sleep.
Her nap only lasts 10 minutes in a day because she the pain she undergoes due to jigger infestation is beyond the imaginable.
The young girl lives with her grandmother Rachel Muthoni together with her elder brother who is nine and three other sisters.
He is also jigger infested and struggles to walk to school. He takes two hours to school, a journey of 25 minutes by vehicle.
“She is always in tears, scratching her entire body because of the jiggers. I have tried to find a solution to this menace to no avail…I am also affected. Only God can save us,” said Muthoni tearfully according to the Star.
The family depends on well-wishers for survival.
Muthoni has been taking care of her grandchildren since the demise of her daughter Catherine Njoki in April.
The grandmother said his grandson cannot wear shoes or walk on grass because of the jiggers.
“He is supposed to be in standard five but the parasites have slowed him down. He cannot wear shoes or walk on grass.”
She called on Murang’a leaders to help her grandchildren from jigger menace that has changed their loves to a nightmare.
“She is suffering yet her diet is not healthy. I cry out to our leaders and well-wishers to help us. All I want is for my grandchildren to get well because they have a future. I hope they get help so she can start schooling like other kids,” she said.
A neighbor, Lucy Githaiga said she reached out to Kenya Red Cross on the matter and had the house fumigated on Tuesday.
She urged anti-jigger campaigns led by Murang’a’s own Dr Stanley Kamau of Ahadi Kenya Trust to help the family.