Supporting Facial swelling treatment & care of master Humphrey Mussa Chuli, student Zingibari Secondary school, Tanzania

Master Humphrey Musa Chuli, needs an urgent treatment of his facial swelling to his right side of the face. He is 14 years old and the swelling has engulfed 90% of his face. He is living with his step mother and a cousin at Zingibari village, Mkinga District, Tanzania. The two his step mother and cousin are the only people he considers his, he considers his cousin as his elder brother, his father remain and unknown and when the disease appeared in earlier years, his mother rejected him claiming she had no business doing with bewitched kid and that the kid is not hers, claiming her kid was as good as any child in the village. She then left to her birth place nearly 400 km north west of Tanzania where she got married again to another man with whom she has four other children with.

Zingibari secondary school, where he is a form 2, due to his health condition caters for his education, while he stays with her step mum, whom he calls ‘’mother after her mother openly rejected him. They travel a total of 14 km to and from school daily, during school days and during this time , his right eye remain totally closed with the growing skin swelling on his right face and is not visible, the right eye which is affected mostly by the swelling, and because of the sunlight ever emits tears and at times forced to sit under tree shade for some time before he could continue to school impacting on his psychosocial wellbeing as well as his general school attendance and academic performance.

At school he is above average student with the first term scoring a mean grade of ‘’A’’ in all the subjects becoming number 2 in class and 1 in term 1 and 2 respectively. Being rejected by a biological mother because of the facial growth, means the whole community and even his teenage members despise him, but respect him because of his ever sterling performance in class. Though the school support his education, and step mothers caters for his social welfare, the future of master Humphrey remain bleak, because he is losing hope, ambition and aspiration as a citizen of Tanzania, whose resources can best be capitalized to improve social wellbeing of the generation to come.

When I went to the school, in one of our partners school meetings, promoting girls access to menstrual hygiene management information, care products and services, aimed at improving school attendance and academic performance of girls in school, I came across Humphrey, siting lonely under the tree just two to three meters away from where his other students colleagues were sitting and was with his right hand palm rested on his facial swelling just next to the where the invisible righteye is located.

I made an attempt to contact his mother, fortunately her step mother came and she told us that she has tried all means to get Master Humphrey be treated at Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania national Health facility , but was told to part way with Tanzania shillings 24 million approximately US$10,349 for the investigation, surgery and treatment which can also diligently be administered in India, he has no health insurance to cater for his treatment , but then, that was five years ago. His step mother only managed to have a total of500K ,Tanzania shillings after selling the remaining bull she had plus the contribution from well wishers , but these ended meeting their travels cost to Dar es salaam, Muhimbili national hospital which after all did not do anything on master Humphrey in terms of treatment and worse still did not even bothers referring him to any hospital in India or any other health facility for treatment. If nothing is done, fast and on time, we are losing Master Humphrey because of negligence and not taking appropriate action to save his life in time of need.

Can you contribute US$ 1,5,10….. to change the health destiny of Master Humphrey Mussa Chuli?

The COVID-19 pandemic not only added his life tribulation but fractured his attempt to get quality health support and despite his facial swelling, he still remains that strong character that believe given opportunity, he can change the world for better.

Let us join hand to help Humphrey.