Help that saves lives: the Valter Baldaccini Foundation supports the healthcare costs of two women in Kenya

Every year the Valter Baldaccini Foundation supports the sisters of Mathare, the nuns who live in one of the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. The bond with them was born from a friendship with Valter Baldaccini and we also collaborate with them to implement the social and work inclusion project dedicated to the mothers of Mathare.

Based on the needs of the moment, the support of the Valter Baldaccini Foundation is allocated to some difficult situations that they are facing. This year the aid was allocated to two young women: Furaha and Elizabeth.

Oncological treatments for Furaha

Furaha comes from Congo, is 25 years old, has 3 children and, together with her husband, lives in the Kakuma refugee camp, a huge camp, where it is estimated that over 200,000 people live, located in northern Kenya. Some of the sisters of the Sisters of Mathare, who have known this family for years, work in this camp. Furaha was diagnosed with breast cancer and the hospitals inside the camp do not have the possibility and resources to take care of her.

“We offered to welcome her to our home in Mathare – our contact in the field, Sister Marilena, wrote to us – to begin treatment at the National Government Hospital, the Kenyatta Hospital. We managed to pay for the basic insurance and so Furaha, which in her language means joy, began chemotherapy. After the second cycle, the payment system changed and she, as a refugee, can no longer benefit from the insurance. We spoke to a doctor friend who, after examining her and having her tests repeated, opted for a mastectomy. We did not feel like leaving her without treatment, thinking of her children: Furaha had surgery at the Neema Hospital and as soon as the wound heals she will have to undergo 6 cycles of chemotherapy. Together with her (Furaha is 25 years old) we welcomed her three children: Divine, 4 years old, Anne Marie, 3 years old and Joseph, 18 months old. To give the mother a chance to heal well, the father came to pick up the children and together they returned to Kakuma. They will return to us around mid-January. The presence of the children also helps the mother to fight”.

Help for Elizabeth’s operation

Elizabeth is 23 years old and, a month and a half ago, she was hit by a motorbike. Since she could not afford the operation, the government hospital discharged her.

“Thanks to your help we also sent her to Neema Hospital where she risked amputation because the wound was already gangrenous, but with the dedication and care of the surgeons, so far, the leg is safe. Even Elizabeth, who suffered a lot before the operation, now has no words to thank for this help. As you can see, what you sent us is helping to save lives”.

These stories are just two of the many concrete examples of how your support can make a difference in the lives of those in difficulty. Thanks to your donations, the Valter Baldaccini Foundation continues to bring hope in contexts of great difficulty, such as in Kenya. Only together can we build solidarity projects in the world that make a difference.