Kabategweta is a 28-year-old married mother of two children—ages four and two years old—who live in Uganda. She holds a Bachelor’s degree, but she has no job. Sometimes she does voluntary work where she gets only a stipend. She likes reading novels in her free time.
In 2012, Kabategweta started feeling pain in her upper abdomen while she was pregnant. Whenever she walked or lifted heavy items, she would develop a swelling in her upper abdomen. She visited a hospital in the same year and diagnosed as having a hernia.
A hernia is a protrusion of the intestines through a weak region in the abdominal muscles. A hernia presents as a protrusion—or bulge—in the abdomen and can become painful when coughing, bending at the waist, or lifting heavy objects.
At the time of her diagnosis, Kabategweta could not undergo an operation to repair the hernia because she was pregnant. She delivered her baby by C-section. Since then she has been taking painkillers.
Kabategweta would have gone back to the hospital for hernia repair after her baby was born, but she did not have money to pay for surgery. Her husband, a trader who deals in maize, has a seasonal income because there are times when the harvest is poor or when the price of maize is low. The family uses their income mostly for rent, and they are constructing their house, which is incomplete.
$249 pays for hernia repair surgery for Kabategweta as well as three nights in the hospital, lab tests, and medicine. After surgery, she plans to continue looking for a job and start a farming business to raise capital for a small boutique business she wishes to start.
“After surgery and recovery,” shares Kabategweta, “I hope to put more effort in looking for a job because I will have the strength.”
