Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD Province Masuku clutches an old yellow metal basin half-filled with a mixture of sand and water as she walks steadily to a makeshift kitchen shack in the sprawling Killarney squatter camp in Bulawayo.
With her hand, she carefully scoops a handful of sand and buries two small plastic bags beneath it before returning the bowl safely into the kitchen. This makeshift cooling system is her only option for storing insulin — her lifesaving medication, as her squatter camp home in Killarney has no electricity.
Province was diagnosed with diabetes last August and has been relying on vital medication ever since.
To an outsider, it may appear that Province is about to discard some dirty old pharmacy carrier bags, but instead, it is in the sand that her medication is buried in.
“The medication needs to be kept cool, ideally in a refrigerator, but unfortunately, we have no electricity here. So, we have to use this method.
We put it in sand and water to try and keep it cool,” explains her distraught mother, Ms Getrude Tshili. Their plight extends beyond the challenges of managing a debilitating chronic illness.
The family is burdened with the realities of life in a squatter camp compounded by unemployment and the fact that Province has to stop attending school.
“Province was initially diagnosed with a heart condition, but all medical records were lost in a shack fire soon after my husband passed away. She fell ill in January 2023, but I was unaware of the symptoms of diabetes until a neighbour suggested that could be the case. I thought she was too young to have diabetes but my neighbour recognised the symptoms from caring for another diabetic,” Ms Tshili recounts.
Province frequently drinks water, urinates often and has an abnormal appetite.
“She would eat her food and anything leftover from me or her siblings and we used to think she was just a glutton. She began to lose weight rapidly and in August 2023, she was admitted to Mpilo Central Hospital for a month, and it was then that we learned she was diabetic. The doctors instructed us that she could manage her condition at home by giving herself insulin injections,” Ms Tshili adds.
Province suffers from hyperglycemia, meaning her blood sugar levels are dangerously high. Symptoms include excessive thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, blurred vision and a dry mouth.
The doctor overseeing Province’s care has provided the family with a glucometer to monitor her blood sugar levels along with test strips. Province must inject herself five times a day, using different medication at various times as well as test her blood sugar three times daily.
“The insulin injections I buy are a constant struggle. She takes Protaphane twice a day—at 10am and 8pm — but it’s often out of stock at pharmacies.
Therefore, I have to secure an extra dose before she runs out to ensure we always have supplies. The cost of Protaphane ranges from US$11,50 to US$13. Actrapid, which she takes three times daily lasts only two weeks and costs US$8. On top of this, each syringe costs US$0,20. We also need to buy the testing strips, which are US$24 for 50,” Ms Tshili explains.
A laboratory test ordered by the doctor, which is due before Province’s review in February, costs US$20. Unfortunately, Ms Tshili cannot afford it and is appealing for assistance from well-wishers.
Because of her illness, Province has not been able to attend school since 2023 and returning would also require finding a way to keep her insulin refrigerated and manage her injections throughout the day.
To support her family, Ms Tshili has been vending, but since Province’s illness, it has become increasingly challenging.
“I’ve been selling drinks, opaque beer and energy drinks, but since Province fell ill, it’s been difficult to maintain stock. I was relying on my vending income to buy insulin for her but I’ve been unable to restock. I’m asking well-wishers to help with her insulin and I want her to return to school and receive an education. Those are my biggest concerns.”
Additionally, Ms Tshili carries a debt of US$468 at Mpilo Central Hospital from Province’s hospitalisation, which has left her fearful that if Province falls ill again, she might not receive treatment due to the outstanding bill.
“I do everything in my power to secure her injections as they are crucial to her survival, but I am struggling and need help,” she says.
Province has been prescribed a strict diabetic diet, which her mother often cannot afford. Instead, they can only manage what little food they find on a daily basis. Suitable foods include small grains, maize meal, sugar beans, dried vegetables, brown rice and other proteins.
On particularly challenging days, Province experiences sore eyes, leg cramps and general weakness. Nevertheless, she remains a jovial and playful child, determined not to let her condition prevent her from enjoying time with her siblings and friends in the camp.
Well-wishers can contact Sunday News at +263 772755127 or — @NyembeziMu.
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