A Call for Compassionate Care

At 4 am., Mzee Kihereko, one of our solid waste management team members, received a call that would change his life. His sister-in-law, in distress, told him: "Mom has been carried away by the floods... the boys too." Shocked and confused, he went to work, hoping to distract himself. This was during the Mai Mahiu–Old Kijabe flood tragedy earlier this year. His colleagues, aware of the gravity of the situation, urged him to leave and be with his family. When Mzee Kihereko arrived in Mai Mahiu, the house where his mother-in-law and her two sons had lived was gone—swept away by the raging waters. All that remained were scattered rocks where a home once stood. Search teams had found his mother-in-law’s body, but her sons were still missing. “I was advised to leave the site, but I refused. I had to be there!” Mzee Kihereko recalls. He stayed until all three bodies were recovered, determined to stand by his family in their final moments. "It hurts every time I pass that place," he says quietly. "It was my home, and now it's just rocks. I had a good relationship with my mother-in-law—she loved us dearly. My wife and I pray every day, asking God to continue healing our hearts." On this World Trauma Day, Mzee urges others who have faced loss to lean on faith and prayer and seek help from professionals. "Even though we haven't forgotten, we continue trusting in God. To anyone going through trauma, don't lose hope. God is with you, talk to Him and talk to someone as well." If you need someone to talk to, please reach out through our contact centre 0709728200. You are not alone.