This archive report was first published on 10 September 2019.
On September 20th, Kenyan acid attack survivor Dan Matakayia arrived in the United States ahead of a life-changing surgery to repair his severely damaged nostril.
Thanks to the generosity of Face Forward International, a California-based organization that provides emotional support to victims of domestic violence, Matakayia's surgery will be fully sponsored.
The operation is scheduled to take place on September 20th at the Alessi Institute for Facial Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, California.
During his one-month stay in the US, Matakayia will be hosted by Glory Riungu, a Kenyan living in the US.
As a former police officer, Matakayia's life took a devastating turn on September 21st, 2013, when his wife attacked him with acid, leaving him blind and with a severely deformed face.
“Two minutes after going to bed, my wife poured sulfuric acid on my face. I stepped out of bed only to be electrocuted,” Matakayia recalled in a past interview with Hot 96 FM.
