Patricia Wandia,50, is the assistant chief of Mirimaini sub-location, Juja Sub County.
“There is one thing most people don’t ever think much about – the possibility of going to bed seeing the world one way and waking up the following day, having to see it in another way.
In April 2019, I lost my sight. I woke up and I just couldn’t find my way around my own house, one that I had lived in for decades. I had undergone multiple surgeries prior to that, in 2017 and 2018, and the last one had happened just a month before I went blind.
I am 50 years old and for the better part of my life, I had excellent eyesight. Then began a sharp vision decline in 2015. I realised that I was straining to read text messages on my phone or while working on my laptop. I would wipe the phone, increase brightness and squint hard. I once thought to myself, “This is not me. What is happening?” Yet I was never once worried. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I was about to lose my eyesight.
Patrica Wandia walking with a white cane at the Kenya Society for the Blind on July 8, 2021. PHOTO| DENNIS ONSONGO
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo
I went to see an ophthalmologist who prescribed reading glasses. That didn’t help. Another hospital visit later revealed that I had retinal detachment, which is an emergency situation where tissue at the back of the eye pulls away from a layer of blood vessels that provide the necessary oxygen and nourishment.. Then the surgeries began. I held on to the hope that it was just a matter of time before I regained my health.
Against this backdrop, I continued with my role as an administrator in Juja. I enjoy engaging boys, especially on the dangers of drugs abuse, and combating the sale of illicit brew in the area win partnership with the National Police Service. Surely, I would need my eyesight to do my job, or so I thought.
Patricia Wandia and Solomon Bukhala (right) Education and rehabilitation manager at Kenya Society for the Blind on Thursday, July 8, 2021. PHOTO| DENNIS ONSONGO
Photo credit: Pool
In 2010, while working as an administrator for a local organisation, I heard an announcement in church about a job opening. I applied to the role and in April the following year, I was confirmed. I was very excited. First, because I enjoy interacting and listening to people, and secondly, because I was eager to inspire young girls and encourage them to seize the opportunities that come their way, just like their male counterparts.
The day I got out of the bed and realised that I couldn’t see anything, I walked up to my closet and tried to pick my clothes. I desperately hoped that I was having a bad dream, and that I would soon wake up.
Patricia Wandia, assistant chief Mirimaini Sub location at the Kenya Society for the Blind on July 8, 2021. PHOTO| DENNIS ONSONGO
Photo credit: Pool
The next eight months were tough. I was almost always angry at myself and the world, and I questioned God a lot. I now realise that this is a struggle that almost everyone who has acquired disability or significant illness struggles with. I also fought against low self-esteem. I loved going to the manicurists, to salons and to wear nice clothes. I was worried that my blindness would affect my style. Thankfully, it did not. The greatest thing I lost during that season was some of my friends. As soon as they heard that I had lost my eyesight, they cast me off.
With the support and encouragement from my two sons – Dennis Ngotho and Braham Wambugu – together with my family, friends, and the community at large, I gradually learnt to accept the situation. I prayed and asked God to give me the courage to accept the person I had become.
The odd thing about my situation is that it helped me rediscover myself. I honestly didn’t know how strong my faith was, how determined and mentally strong I was.
I have learnt to respond to my weakness with strength and determination. Every day, I prove to myself that I can still accomplish my goals. At the moment, I am going through rehabilitation at the Kenya Society for the Blind. I’m just a month old here, but I can comfortably use the white cane.
Next, I will learn how to use the computer. With training and technology, I can continue reading, writing, cooking, working, and much more.
In 2019, I frequently asked myself, “Why me?” At that time, the question came from a place of pain and anger. Now, if you hear me ask it aloud, it’s because I have found my answer. Losing my eyesight made me more sensitive to the struggles out there, and I believe that there is a life-changing lesson to be picked from it."
