My journey with kidney failure started at Kamuzu Central Hospital, where I experienced six challenging months in the paediatric department. As I was 12 at the time, I was placed in the paediatric ward. My condition started with severe symptoms such as body pain, swelling, and vomiting. Initially, I relied on oxygen to alleviate shortness of breath, but eventually transitioned to dialysis therapy, which became a cornerstone of my life. This time was very painful. I was confined to bed full-time and unable to eat until the initiation of dialysis, which greatly improved my health.

When I found out I was sick, everything changed. I spent a lot of time at the hospital getting treatment. Because of this, I couldn't go to school like I used to. In Malawi, we don't have special dialysis machines for children. The doctors thought about using a treatment called peritoneal dialysis, but there's still a chance of getting an infection with this treatment. Instead, I use hemodialysis for my treatment. I have a catheter in my chest which helps me with my treatment. Having small veins makes it tricky for the doctors to fix the AV fistula – we don’t have special doctors for this in our country. I also had to choose between going to school and having treatment to stay healthy.

The physical complications of renal failure are only part of the story. We are fortunate that dialysis is free of charge but my father, a watchman, struggles with a poor wage, making it difficult to pay for medicine and transportation to and from appointments. There are many children living with NCDs in my country whose parents experience similar financial challenges. Transportation to the dialysis unit and obtaining necessary medications such as calcium and calcitriol are big challenges, especially for children that live in rural areas.

Where I live, many children have diseases, but they can't always get the medicine they need. Some have asthma, like my friend. He has a tough time getting the right medicine and inhalers because they are usually out of stock at the clinic, and even when they are available they are very expensive. There's another friend who battles with kidney failure and he struggles to get healthcare too. It is tough for his dad to get the money needed for his medicine. Sometimes, they have trouble getting to the hospital because they don't have enough money for transport. In the countryside, it's even harder because there aren't many doctors, and it costs a lot to get better. We want every kid, no matter where they live or what's wrong with them, to get the help they need.

Myself and lots of other children who have kidney problems or other sicknesses really need things to get better. I want people who make decisions in Malawi to help. We need more doctors and nurses to keep hospitals open longer so we can go after school. Children living in the countryside should also have access to good healthcare.

It's important that everyone can afford the medicine and special food they need. We really need treatment suitable for children to help us get better.