The Story of Epiphanie
Epiphanie became affected with podoconiosis in 1994 when she was five years old. She describes it as a scratchy painful feeling that began in her right leg. Eventually, her condition became so serious that she was unable to continue working in the fields as a farmer. Now, she supports her family by working with her hands and staying out of the fields so as not to aggravate her condition.
It is common for multiple family members to suffer from podoconiosis, due to similar lifestyles and genetic components. Her elderly father also suffers from podoconiosis, and is now too frail to travel to HASA’s center for treatment. HASA gives supplies Èpiphanie to care for her father at home.
Before and After Photos
Currently, she has received treatment from HASA for nearly 10 years. She came to HASA after hearing about our organization from St. Vincent’s nuns, who had provided a place to soak her feet.
Epiphanie is now 30 years old, and has been affected by podoconiosis for 25 years. Thanks to the continuous treatment she has received from HASA, Epiphanie’s life is no longer dictated by podoconiosis.
The Story of Liberathe
Liberathe, 25, has been affected by podoconiosis for 12 years. She initially went to a local hospital to seek treatment, where she was tested for likely causes of her condition. Upon receiving negative results, the hospital recommended she go to HASA’s center for treatment as they had referred other patients in the past. She began treatment at HASA in 2015, and later joined HASA’s Sewing Project.
The training she received from HASA’s Sewing Project and the sewing machine she received upon graduating from the program now allows Liberathe to support herself financially. Prior to her training, she was unable to continue her previous work as a farmer as podoconiosis makes walking difficult and painful and the soil aggravates her condition.
Liberathe used to live a long distance away from HASA’s treatment center, but in order to attend weekly treatments, she moved to the Musanze district where HASA is located. The treatment she has received has made living with podoconiosis much more manageable, and Liberathe has gained more confidence and freedom. Perhaps the biggest impact is that Liberathe has educated her community about the causes, preventions, and treatment of podoconiosis, while simultaneously destigmatizing the disease.
The story of Derrick
Derrick is a 19-year old young man who lives in the Gisoro district region of Uganda with his parents and siblings. He is the second born child among seven children. Derrick had dreams of becoming a university teacher. His dreams became unrealistic when he turned 12 years old and started noticing some unusual changes. Initially, Derrick experienced a desire to scratch his left leg. His foot was burning and swollen to the point that his legs felt very heavy. He was in grade four of primary education in Uganda at the time. Derrick stopped walking to school because his legs were painful and his classmates were laughing at him.
Derrick visited many hospitals in Uganda but there was no help. He was admitted at the Heart and Sole Africa clinic located at Kinoni in BURERA district Rwanda where he was clinically diagnosed as a podoconiosis patient.
Derrick was found to be a good candidate for bandaging. Unfortunately, his parents were not able to afford the cost of transporting him to our clinic in Musanze district for bandaging on daily basis. Cindy, an American certified Lymphedema Therapist, who is on the board of Heart and Sole Africa, donated the money required for Derrick’s period of treatment. Now Derrick has started treatment and he has shown remarkable improvement in swelling reduction. His leg is now easier to lift up when he is walking, and he can also put on regular shoes available in local markets. The attached photos are before and after treatment.
Franciose’s Story
When we first met Franciose, she was a young woman with little hope for a job due to podoconiosis. Because of the swelling of her feet, she was shut out from many aspects of society. Currently in Rwanda, there remains a stigma against people with podo, so it was difficult for her to integrate socially into her community.
Heart and Sole Africa is dedicated to bringing hope to Franciose and many others who suffer from this condition. In the fall of 2009, the Heart and Sole team provided training and medical supplies to Franciose to help her combat the effects of this debilitating disease. Knowledge is so powerful and Franciose became a young woman with hope that her condition can and will improve over time. Franciose’s heart was transformed and she became a teacher and friend to others who live with this devastating condition. She was able to greatly reduce the swelling in her feet through treatment, and we are very proud of her progress!
