Cicilia’s Story

Cicilia with her mosquito net

Cicilia Prosy first came to CRESS during the Chalke Valley Lent Project health training and mosquito net delivery in a small village of Matu.

Ms. Cicilia Prosy is a 22years old pregnant mother with three children namely; Lodu Samuel 6yrs, Duku Patrick 5yrs, and Kenyi Emmanuel 3yrs and 3 other orphans.

On receiving her health training and mosquito net she said:

“Today I am very excited to receive this mosquito nets in my family – it’s like a Christmas day to me because since I got married, I have never received such a wonderful gifts. My family members have been suffering from severe malaria, Typhoid fever, pneumonia, Intestinal Worms, and skin diseases and I bearly had no money to treat them because I lost my husband recently in Liwolo when I am 2 months pregnant. So I have been treating my children with local herbs.

I am now very HAPPY because the mosquito nets I received today with the knowledge is going to prevent my family members from being bitten by mosquitoes – meaning my family members are free from malaria.” A HUGE thank you to Cress UK for your support in saving the lives of my children from malaria, May God bless you!”

Out of Prosy’s three children, she can only afford to pay the school fee of one child – meaning others are not in school.

Lulu was so shocked to enter in her bed room. Just to see her sleep on the ground on a torn mattress with NO bed or mosquito net.

Lulu’s next visit

Lulu and Ms Prosy when ill

“Today after work, I decided as a surprise to visit Ms. Prosy’s home in Matu village to find out how she is doing and share the word of God with her in order to comfort her. I found her lying desperate out side on the ground (under the sun) complaining of severe headache, back pain, chills, persistently high grade fever and general body weakness and nobody seemed to care about her condition including neighbours. I was suspecting severe malaria and typhoid fever.

I asked her about her children and the orphans and she said “my children and the orphans have gone to the transit (she meant the place where refugees are registered on first arrival to Uganda) to harvest white aunts for their supper”.

I then immediately proceeded to the transit. I was so shocked to see this innocent children struggling to climb on top of the carpet made house and others already up collecting the white aunts. I had to stop their activities because I was thinking of the possible risks they are exposed to and we

Collecting ants to eat

came home together.

On arriving home with her children, I had wanted to come with her to the CRESS funded clinic so that she can be tested and appropriate treatment can be given – but she said she can’t leave her children alone at night. I became confused.

Because I knew it was the good Lord who directed my visit, I had to pull out the only money (25,000/-) I had in my pocket and give it to her for their supper and to use part for her transport to travel to the government facility the following day. I can’t believe the kind of appreciations from her.”

Treatment and recovery

On the night 12th June, Ms. Prosy’s condition worsened and she was rushed in the clinic at 11:38pm EST while unconscious, gasping for air, very hot body on touch and vomiting a lot. Being night, we could not do much other than take her full history and rehydrate her with I.V fluids, give antipyretic and do tepid sponging – awaiting possible investigations. Lucky enough she was able to gain consciousness, though she very weak.

She was tested and diagnosed with complicated malaria, typhoid fever, syphilis and moderate iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy and initiated on appropriate treatment.

As I am writing, she has fully recovered and doing her normal agriculture work though she did not pay any single coin for her treatment bill but promised to pay.

She really APPRECIATED the clinic staff for saving her life at the most risky hours of the night and CRESS for the existence of this great clinic here in Mijale – adding “I wish I can get time to appreciate the people who are funding this EXCELLENT clinic”.