Your spouse retires. You also have just a year to retire. Your spouse falls sick and doctors tell you that he has a clot of the arteries. He is referred to one of the biggest hospitals in Kenya for further treatment. At the Hospital, the doctor opens the leg only to realise that it has to be amputated. Then the news comes- your patient has exhausted their cover and cannot be treated! You lose hope and request that the patient be handed back to you for palliative care at home, but you have to clear your bills so you are stuck in the hospital.
You call union officials and escalate to even the SG known to you but, he goes mute on you after you have explained your issue. Then you remember there is an organisation concerned with the welfare of teachers- KEWOTA.
You SMS the CEO Benta Opande and explain the issue. She takes it up, reaches out to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and with surprising speed, TSC reaches out to AON, to you and your children and the good news comes- your spouse will be treated and everything is going to be fine. In fact, TSC further calls and assures you that the hospital will treat your husband and even asks you to send your son to their office for further assistance.
This is the story of Everline Adhiambo Mito of Kondele Primary School in Kisumu. Her husband retired last year and has been having a clot in the leg. Several visits to the doctors have not been successful until they were referred to a hospital in Nairobi where the doctors said they had to amputate the leg urgently. However, she was told the cover by AON was exhausted even though the leg had been opened. Desparate, all she needed was to take her husband home and possibly wait for the worst news but KEWOTA did not let her down.
That is when she reached out to Benta Opande, the CEO of KEWOTA, who quickly abandoned her Christmas plans to ensure that the husband of the lady from Marindi in Homa Bay will get full treatment and everything catered for. In fact, he has been wheeled to the theatre for an urgent operation and AON will cover him fully.
Elated, Eva took to Facebook and wrote the following:
_Don’t ever criticise a welfare body (KEWOTA) before knowing it’s usefulness. Thanks to KEWOTA for standing with me when I was in dire need. My spouse exhausted in-patient cover and Kewota took it up for themselves to sort out the problem. Kudos to KEWOTA_
_
Speaking from her Christmas home, the CEO said that KEWOTA cannot turn its back on any teacher or member when they are in need of our assistance. ” We pick the calls of all our members and provide assistance. We listen then act because we are partners in the betterment of the welfare of the teachers,” said Opande.
The National Treasurer Jacinta Ndegwa said that sometimes all that is needed is a phone call to the next person to help teachers. “Our creed is responsible leadership that is not afraid to knock on any door which can give assistance to our teachers once those doors open,” she said.
She added that KEWOTA is passionate about the welfare of teachers in employment and the ones who retire.
*NOTE: Eva has given us permission to publish this story.*
