At a national school in Kilifi County, teenage deaf girls from poverty-stricken families are forced to steal underpants of their colleagues so as to protect their dignity.
It is rather a strange way of life but during an interview, the young lads admitted that in order to survive that is one of their tricks.
The girls from Pwani secondary school for the deaf a mixed special National school attracts students from all over the country but some are going through hell.
They made these revelations after benefiting from sanitary towels, underpants, soaps, masks and sanitisers from WIMA a Kilifi Community Based Organization working under the Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW) Kenya.
Some of the girls attributed their challenges to what they said was a communication barrier in society.
They claim that most parents and community members do not understand how to communicate with them making it difficult for them to give them the desired attention for them to feel part of the society.
When the officials of WIMA and journalists visited the school the girls could not hide their joy for getting that donation as ‘it had been of great help.’
Fatuma Ngelesani 19 a form four deaf student said they were happy to receive the sanitary towels, underpants and sanitisers from WIMA because some of them were from poor families and could not afford to buy them.
“Some of us do not have the panties and the only way to get them is to steal from others in the dormitories. So, the donation here means a lot to us. It is going to be of great help,” she said during the interview through the help of their interpreter Mark Aringo who is also a teacher at the school.
Being a national school, they enrol students both boys and girls from all over the country.
It however emerged that some parents just put the children in buses and leave them to travel alone without any pocket money or anyone to accompany them.
In one such case, a girl was bundled in a long-distance truck and travelled all the way from Makueni to Kilifi. Luckily the driver did not victimize the girl and arrived in Kilifi at 9 pm.
The lucky ones who have made it to school say they only get comfort while in school as there are friends and teachers who can easily communicate with them and understand their needs.
Ms Ngelesani said when WIMA brought the sanitary towels her friend Moli had finished all her pads and the facilities helped them.
“Most of us come from a poor background even the shopping done when we are coming to school is very small and has to last for the whole term so even the soap helped us to wash our clothes,” she said.
At home, she said at times it becomes difficult even to get money to buy soap so as to clean her underpants which is a major challenge.
Most of the time her father says he does not have money when she asked for money to buy pads.
“This makes it difficult to walk around the village while at home during menstruation so have to stay at home until that moment is over,” she said.
Another student Annette Mwatela (20) said they also received support from the Woman Rep Gertrude Mbeyu and a local sub-chief but said that is not enough to assist them to meet their demands.
“The major challenge while at home is to use the piece of cloth and wash them and rinse. It’s bad that we can’t afford these utilities and it is really affecting us,” she said.
While at her menses, Ms Mwatela spends most of the time asleep in the dorm or at home until their parents buy for them.
The Deputy Principal of Pwani Secondary school for the deaf Catherine Wanza stressed that the communication barrier from the parents, community and politicians do not understand the plight of the deaf which is a major challenge.
She said teachers go through many challenges as the girls do not have crucial facilities like masks during the era of the Covid-19 pandemic when they wash their reusable.
“We as teachers are forced to do fundraising to buy the masks,” she said.
Ms Wanza said the children always go for her to ask for help and it has really drained her finances to an extent that she is unable to support them anymore to buy the sanitary pads.
She said the Konjora sub-chief in the area has been very supportive whenever she wants assistance to support the girl’s needs.
The Deputy Principal said currently the students have no pads and some have a heavy flow which requires a sanitary towel.
“Like now I have one who has a heavy flow and because of her disability she is half sick, when one is deaf, she has other problem some have multiple disabilities and use pads in big numbers,” she said.
The Principal said she had four sacks of 48 pieces of sanitary towels but they are finished within a month.
She added that boy child has been equally forgotten particularly at the school which is mixed and most of them are in their adolescent period.
“Some of them are of our ages some are our age mates so we understand they also have the relationship issue, like shyness which is part and parcel of their growth,” she said.
At times she said she finds it difficult to punish the student if a case is brought to her and feel like punishing the parents instead of the children who are innocent.
“Most of our parents are poor, others believe that special schools have sponsors but actually we do not have sponsors,” she said.
The deputy principal said some parents come and drop their children at the roadside and direct them to the school alone leaving the teachers to provide everything from soap, pens, books and everything.
She said as an institution they try to provide textbooks exercise books the Ministry supplies them but the children do not have basic needs.
“We pray that we get more donors to support us because as teachers we go an extra mile you know we also have our families but when we see a child suffering, we have to help,” she said.
She thanked WIMA for their support of underpants, some of which they shared as others had only one which is tough during menstruation.
The deputy principal also called on society to change perception against the deaf as they feel oppressed when they do not get what they require.
Saumu Mwadime a community champion trained by CREAW working under WIMA said parents do not know sign language and the majority are illiterate that’s why they cannot communicate well with their community.
“The boys sometimes take advantage of the girls because they are deaf and cannot shout that why they even defile them,” she said
At the Kibarani school for the deaf where she is chairperson one person began to train some parents on sign language in small numbers so as to understand the basic communication language.
She called on sponsors to train parents of children who are deaf so that there can be proper communication at home.
