by Sr. Mary O’Malley                           Kenya/Ireland                                     31.05.2025

Editor’s Note: This is one of the stories Sr. Mary told us during her recent visit to Ireland. Sr. Mary works in Nairobi, Kenya in the prevention of human trafficking and care for the victims of trafficking.

Daniel came into our office about two weeks ago also. This young man is a ‘high thigh’ amputee. He has struggled with major injury for more two years ago now. He had come off a local transport (matatu) and was shortly hit by a high-speed motorcycle. It tossed him into the ditch, and he landed in a drain – rather dank due to the presence of open sewage and the driver sped off. He lay there for some hours in and out of consciousness. Finally, a good Samaritan took him to the national referral hospital where he lay there most of the night unattended. In this condition it was understandable that he required an amputation.

Afterwards he went back to his rural family upcountry, but there was nothing in that remote area to assist him. Finally, he returned to a friend in the Nairobi slums but it was not easy. He felt a burden to his childhood friend who lived in a subsistence way also. Struggling on his crutches, someone told him that he should try going around to churches as he might stumble on some form of a charity. Well, it turned out that he arrived at the office where Mutuku and I were engaged in a planning meeting for the ten Victim/Survivors who came to our office the previous evening (at 4.30pm). “ It never rains but it pours!”

Happily, life has changed for him, and he believes that his prospects are good. In consultation with him we set him up with a food trolley business. He sells cooked sausages and hard-boiled eggs which are kept hot with a small charcoal grill at the bottom. We got him a chair and umbrella as he will need to sit and have shade from the burning sun. We have put him on the list of Association of Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK) to be measured and supplied with a prosthesis. He has found a niche close to the CBD where he can leave his trolley secured with a strong padlock. We are very confident that he will do well and there is no reason why he cannot have a family of his own in the future.