Kenya’s content creator and wife of YouTuber Presenter Ali, Medina Makena, has opened up about a traumatic experience from her teenage years that has had lasting effects on her life.
In a video on her YouTube channel, the mother of one recounted a harrowing incident involving her school director that led to her developing ear problems. During a random search for phones at her school, Makena found herself unexpectedly implicated by her CRE teacher.
“I was in form four. There was a random search for phones in school. Our CRE teacher wrote my name as one of the suspected people who had phones. So after going to other classes, the director, and other teachers, including the CRE teacher finally came into our class for the search. So me i was like, today people are gonna get it. Little did I know that I was going to be in that category,” she said.
Despite not owning a phone at the time, her name appeared on the list of suspected students. As the school director and other teachers searched, Makena, initially confident she wouldn’t be implicated, soon realised she was mistaken.
“Our director was one tough and huge man. He started by advising anybody who had a phone to come forward before he called the list. Because no one came forward, he called the list and the first two people got their punishments and gave out their phones. Then I heard my name. I was shocked. I thought I didn’t hear right because I didn’t have a phone. The first time I owned a phone was on campus,” she said.
Despite her protests of innocence, she was punished and subjected to caning. Remarkably, she endured the pain without flinching, which only seemed to exacerbate the situation.
“One thing with me I have a high pain tolerance. I can tolerate pain. I’m not the kind of person to cry when I’m spanked. Nikatandiku then he was done I was like okay. the fact that I did not react to his canes annoyed him. Then he insisted that I hand over my phone. Told him did have a phone,” she said.
However, when Makena turned to face the teacher after the punishment, she received a slap that changed her life.
The force of the blow caused intense pain, and she momentarily lost herself, not hearing anything, unless someone shouted. The result of the slap is that it hurt badly. I was not there for a moment. He hit me as if he was fighting with a fellow man.
Makena sought medical attention immediately, and her condition was diagnosed as ruptured eardrums.
She underwent treatment at a specialist ear clinic, but the damage proved permanent.
“I went to the matron and told her the terrible pain I was feeling. She took me to the first hospital. The doctor checked me and said my eardrums had burst. We went to another hospital, Specialist of Maskio. They cleaned it and I used to go for check-ups twice every month,” she said.
