Jigger infestation in Kajiado

The children in  Imisigio  primary school can't hide  their joy as they welcome  the visitors.They are overly excited not only because they come with the toms rubber shoes  but also because the visitors will remove the ''dudus'' .You see,  most children  in this  small village in Kajiado county are  infested with jiggers. I notice one little boy bending over to scratch his toes.
The skin on his  feet is flaky and swollen .He  can't stop feeling itchy and it is clear that he is uncomfortable .
Most of them are in excruciating pain  they can barely concentrate on their studies .One of the boys said the situation got worse after the rainy season.His own mother refused to remove the jiggers and he has no choice but to endure the pain.He says he is used to it because most of his friends have the same affliction so he does not feel like the odd one out.
Jiggers  are a real problem in so many parts of our country but not many people  talk about it .Most people associate it with poverty .The truth is ,poor hygiene is the biggest  cause for jigger infestation.
The people of Imisigio  have  water shortage issue which has led to  most of them having poor hygiene  practices .They  share  the same water source with their animals  and the water is clearly not safe for drinking but they have no other choice .
The Red Cross  are here today for the jigger fivoval campaign  ,tom shoes distribution  and to have a hygiene talk with the community.The  jigger removal session is a painful process and it takes a while before it is  finished .The small children kept crying   ,it was really sad to see them in such  pain .The only way to treat  this is by extracting the jiggers and  dressing the wound with antiseptic till it heals completely .
The shoe distribution is a great idea  ,most kids don't have shoes  and the rest of them have torn shoes .
The community promises to observe their hygiene but there is need to do more to make sure that  there are no more cases of jigger infestation.
Jigger infestation is a serious menace that has led to amputation and even death in some cases.It is important to  watch your hygiene  and don't stigmatise but educate victims on hygiene and how to treat it before it gets serious.
One last thing it is not contagious.