Kena’s Story
This May, Kena arrived at Yoyya General Hospital in Adama to receive surgery for his cleft lip. Kena is seven months old and is the first in his family to be born with a cleft condition.
Kena’s mother told us that when he was born, she was deeply saddened by his condition;‘We were unable to seek treatment for his condition immediately due to financial constraints and the difficulty of life where we live. So, when we heard about Project Harar, we got in contact with the Project Harar Coordinator for Oromia.’
Kena’s mother also heard about the programme dates from the health extension worker in their town and then brought him to Yoyya in search of the treatment.The journey from Kena’s home is almost 400 kilometres in distance and would have taken him and his parents at least two days to get to Yoyya Hospital.
“I was shocked that my baby was born with a cleft condition and for me and my husband it was very stressful.We felt like we had to hide Kena because people spoke about him differently which made us very angry. He was judged differently to other children.”
-Kena’s Mother
“We are so grateful for the service that Project Harar provides and we
hope that every child can access this treatment and that Project
Harar can continue to provide this service, especially to those who
feel the need to hide their child because of their cleft condition.”
Kena with his mother and father