Wesu’s Journey: From Shame and Pain to Healing and Hope

At just nine years old, Wesu was no stranger to pain.

It started small. Tiny insects burrowed into his feet, almost invisible at first. But the itching turned to swelling. The swelling became sharp, constant pain. Soon, Wesu could barely walk. Each step hurt. His world began to shrink.

School became impossible. Friends stopped playing with him. Some gave him a cruel nickname—“Wanyende,” meaning "one who rears jiggers." The humiliation was unbearable. He dropped out. He withdrew. The jigger infestation didn’t just infect his body. It began to break his spirit.

Wesu’s home in Shiyatsa village reflected the weight he carried. A tattered shelter with dusty floors and worn-out bedding. A father struggling with alcoholism. A mother doing her best, digging in neighbors' fields just to feed the family. Still, they couldn’t afford proper treatment. Local herbs didn’t work. Ointments failed. The jiggers spread.

Then came a knock on the door.

Our Sole Hope team had been mobilizing in the area, and someone told us about Wesu. We listened. We saw the pain. And we made a promise. Not just to treat the infestation, but to care for him with dignity.

At our Residential Treatment Center, Wesu received proper medical care for the first time. He got clean bedding, warm meals, health education, and time to play. Time to feel like a child again.

Two weeks later, the jiggers were gone. His smile had returned.

“God is good. My ambition is to become a doctor to restore the lives of vulnerable people,” he told us.

That’s what this work is about. Not just removing parasites. Restoring dignity. Rebuilding lives. Giving children the freedom to walk, to play, and to dream again.

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