- A 10-year-old Grade Three pupil has been rescued after she was found living on the streets at Naathu market.
- John Majau reports that the child is receiving treatment and temporary shelter at Mutuati Sub-County Hospital.
- Medics have raised concern over child neglect and called for responsible parenthood and greater protection of vulnerable children.
A Grade Three pupil has been rescued by medics in Meru after she was found living on the streets at Naathu market in Naathu Ward, Igembe North Constituency, before being taken to Mutuati Sub-County Hospital for treatment.
The girl, 10, was allegedly abandoned by her parents after she was accused of stealing Sh20 from her father.
The pupil, who attended Mburanjiru Primary School, is receiving temporary shelter at Mutuati Sub-County Hospital.
Following the incident, medics and other stakeholders have raised concern over rising cases of child neglect in the area and urged the community, particularly parents, to embrace responsible parenthood and family planning.
“We decry the rising cases of child negligence in Naathu Ward, Igembe North Constituency, because we recently rescued a Grade Three pupil at Naathu area. We are appealing to the community to embrace family planning by siring only the children they can adequately cater for,” said a medic.
The girl dropped out of school after she was allegedly abandoned by her parents in Ngaya village, where she was born and raised.
Narrating her ordeal, the girl said she longs to return to school and continue with her education.
“I live alone at home. I was accused by my father of stealing Sh20. I do not know where my younger sibling went. I want to go back to school,” she said.
Nurse Pamela Nkubu said the girl’s family circumstances had left her vulnerable and without adequate parental care.
According to Nkubu, the girl’s father struggles with alcohol use while her mother left the family, remarried and has not been taking care of the children.
“No relative has come to see [the girl] since she was admitted. That is why we are appealing to anyone willing to help this child continue with her education and get a safe home,” she added.
Nkubu said the girl was responding positively to treatment, noting that she remains highly vulnerable since she has nowhere safe to return.
“She was brought here by a Community Health Promoter after a well-wisher rescued her from the streets. We have managed her epilepsy, but no parent or guardian has come to check on her,” Nkubu said.
She warned that children left on the streets face dangers including defilement, exploitation and disease, calling on parents to take responsibility for raising their children.
“We cannot delegate parenting. Government hospitals offer family planning services, and parents should have children they can manage and care for,” she said.
Hospital waives medical bill
The officer in charge of the children’s ward, Mugambi Kithia, said the girl’s condition reflected prolonged neglect.
“She is 10 years old but looks much younger because of stunted growth. She also has anaemia, epilepsy and lacked basic needs. Jiggers are often a sign of poverty and neglect,” he said.
Mutuati Level Four Hospital Administrator Dennis Gatobu said the hospital exempted the girl from paying medical bills after learning of her situation.
“When she arrived, she had jiggers all over her body and was in a poor state. She has improved remarkably after receiving treatment,” Gatobu said.
He appealed to well-wishers, churches, charitable organisations and the community to come to the girl’s rescue, insisting that sending her back to the same environment would expose her to further neglect.
The medics urged parents to embrace family planning and responsible parenthood, stressing that every child deserves love, protection, education and a safe home.
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Mutuati Sub-County Hospital in Meru County, where a 10-year-old Grade Three pupil is receiving treatment and temporary shelter after she was rescued from the streets at Naathu market.
By John Majau
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