For the longest time, Mitchelle Omullo dreamt of making her mark in the film industry. But just as she began living the dream, her life took an unexpected turn. https://shorturl.at/nBPvv
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Basically, the challenges I've faced in life is, you know, since I got a mild stroke,
00:08things have not been easy to do because, you know, maybe even the employment sector has not been easy
00:17because people are seeing me as a burden when they employ me.
00:22So they feel like they cannot employ me because of their ignorance.
00:27So my journey with sickle cell, I was diagnosed when I was three years old.
00:32Now I'm 31 years old.
00:34So it has not been easy.
00:36It has not been a walk in the park, but by the grace of God, God has been so kind to me
00:42and we thank God that he has really been through this journey with me.
00:49He's really been with me and he's really walked with me.
00:53So the challenges that I'm facing are really major because we find out that the drugs are not being given for free
01:03or drugs are being given for free and we have to buy them.
01:07I'm missing a job. I'm not employed as we speak right now.
01:12But, you know, it's just God's ways that something small,
01:19these engagements that I usually attend and go for, they give me at least some pocket money.
01:25Now, you know, that's my personal latency.
01:27I go and also buy my medication.
01:32And then I have always wanted to make, to do film, to shoot film,
01:39because I felt like we have been stigmatized a lot.
01:44So I wanted to show our stories through my films now.
01:51So I am basically shooting a feature film called Wipe In Tears
01:58that involves sickle cell and it involves also Ghana, 25 percent, and Kenya, Kisumu, 75 percent.
02:09So that is what I am really, really looking for, funds to shoot it,
02:14because our budget is at 5.3 million to shoot in all countries.
02:24So we are currently kind of challenged because we don't have the funds that we're looking for.
02:32But we have spotted some companies that we are trying to partner with to help us raise the funds.
02:39From Home Rescue Medallia has been quite a rollercoaster.
02:45I can say that because my friends never accepted me for who I am.
02:51They gang up against you.
03:00And they are like, they don't want to play with you.
03:03They don't want to, you know, associate with you because you are a sickle cell warrior,
03:08you have sickle cell, maybe you will kill them, you know.
03:12But sickle cell, particularly through playing and stuff, it's a genetic blood disorder.
03:19So I really had a very challenging time growing up.
03:24Even to discover that I was a sickle cell warrior, I discovered it all on my own.
03:29Because I was like, what is happening to me?
03:36I always hear my mom talk about sickle cell.
03:39Oh, you have sickle cell, you have sickle cell.
03:41And I'm like, eh, sickle cell.
03:43So I came to realize and get this on my own that I was a sickle cell warrior.
03:49And I really needed to manage my health and all that.
03:53I really needed to drink a lot of water, you know.
03:56But growing up has been challenging.
03:59I've faced bullying.
04:01I've faced stigmatization when growing up.
04:05You know, they stigmatize you because even in schools the teachers were like,
04:10when I was in school, my mom was a teacher.
04:12So my mom was trained in the school I had schooled in.
04:15So it was a bit easy for me because she was telling the teachers and also every today that comes my way
04:23or into contact with me, she was telling them that I'm a sickle cell warrior.
04:29So I have sickle cell disease.
04:31But in high school, I really had a very big challenge because my deputy never understood me.
04:39My condition.
04:41And whenever I used to go and ask my teacher, she'd be like,
04:45you're faking the sickness.
04:50I'm like, eh.
04:52I'm faking a crisis that is looming.
04:55And you can't even tell when a crisis is coming.
05:02So I used to study at Zerberia, but when I reached Form 4, I realized my Form 2, actually.
05:14I told my mom, I don't have to go to that school anymore because of how the deputy treats me.
05:21So she said, OK, let me change for your school because when you're not at peace
05:30at the school you're going to, it will be a crisis.
05:36So let me just make you comfortable and look for a school for you.
05:40So fortunately enough, she looked for me for a school.
05:45That was called Bishop Abiero Secondary School.
05:51And I had to repeat my Form 2.
05:55And I also had to repeat my Class 8.
05:57So I never had...
05:59I was too down.
06:01I didn't have hopes, like, I can be somebody in this life.
06:07But the more...
06:10When I reached my Form 4, the more...
06:14I wanted to be a secretary, actually.
06:17Working from 9 to maybe 9 or 8 to 5 jobs.
06:23So that's what I wanted to do, to keep a low profile.
06:28But...
06:30Who am I to him?
06:33So when I was in Form 4, early first term, I kept on getting ideas in my mind.
06:39I'm like, eh, these movies, the scripting, what will I be doing with them?
06:44When will I even get the money to shoot it?
06:47You know, to shoot them, those films.
06:51So I was like, ah, no.
06:54The more I just refused the...
06:57I refused those ideas.
06:59The more they came.
07:02So I was like, ah, let me start writing just a script.
07:05Let me start slowly.
07:07And you know, when I was writing, my mum was like, wow.
07:11You're like a pro.
07:13Are you sure you didn't go to school for this?
07:15I'm like, no, I didn't go to school for any of these.
07:18So whenever she had her friends come over, she used to tell them,
07:22eh, you know, my daughter is a straight fighter.
07:26So that is how it started.
07:30I stayed at home for 4 years before going to college.
07:35So I was in 2017, January, and I said, no.
07:40I was in college and I told my mum, I need to go too.
07:44I really need to go.
07:46So she was like, eh.
07:48Look, my mum, she's listening to you, but she can't hear you.
07:52Because the college was in Nairobi.
07:56So one day I just started packing my clothes in my bag.
08:01Clothes are a few days too.
08:04I wanted to go to Nairobi.
08:06I get to Nairobi.
08:08I go to the school.
08:09I get the course.
08:11I enroll for the course.
08:14I check what the school fees was.
08:18And when she realized that I had made up my mind,
08:26she took out the money.
08:29But she didn't want to go to Nairobi for me
08:32because I'll be all alone.
08:37As much as I have relatives there, but I'll be all alone.
08:41And if I have a crisis, what next?
08:46So we prayed about it.
08:48We prayed about it.
08:49And luckily enough, when I was in college, I didn't have any crisis.
08:54So I'm thanking God that this far he's brought me in
08:57with the challenges I have faced.
09:01He's made me a winner.
09:04That is what I can say.