A father of a child suffering from sickle cell anaemia has regretted sharing his number online after a section of Kenyans seized the opportunity to mock him instead.
Simon Odhiambo went viral on Sunday, October 1, after a photo of his ailing son was publicised in an effort to raise money to fund his treatment.
In a placard, the ailing boy requested well-wishers to offer job opportunities to his father, who was struggling to pay school fees and purchase lifesaving drugs.
The minor was said to be in dire need of medication, as he was required to take drugs daily.
“I started receiving calls, but the majority of people were just calling to mock me and make fun of my plight,” Odhiambo told Kenyans.co.ke.
One of the callers, he lamented, wondered why he was not praying instead of begging online.
“I am a prayerful person and did not ask for handouts. All I asked was for a job so that I could take care of my family,” he lamented.
Odhiambo revealed that he holds a diploma in Civil Engineering but is willing to accept any job whatsoever.
According to Odhiambo, he was thrown into financial turmoil after an employer declined to pay him a six-month salary for a contracted job he successfully delivered.
Odhiambo lost over Ksh140,000, which he had planned to use to buy medicine for his child as well as provide basic needs.
“My son has to take medication every day and in recent days it has become more challenging because we are no longer getting the medication from Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI),” he explained the struggle.
Odhiambo has no ill will against Kenyans who have been calling to mock him, but he wishes they would be empathetic.
"They should understand that no father could put himself out there if he has not tried everything to make ends meet," he remarked.
