Covid, poverty, floods – which is the most difficult one?

In the middle of our hygiene activities project in Mukuru Slums in Nairobi, it’s not just the virus that creates a lot of challenges. It’s poverty, too. And it’s floods.

Just imagine you live in the slums with a few things sitting in your small living space, you have no money, you don’t know how to pay for your next food and it’s raining. Raining not just some good rain, but devastating everything you have. You loose some items, the seed you might have put somewhere to grow vegetable, maybe also a chicken that gave you some eggs. This is what happened today.

This afternoon, our Covid19 awareness and sensitization activities that included making of liquid soap and distribution has been disrupted by heavy downpour of rain.

The first rain was beneficiary. Rain means good water. Women, children and the community at large could be seen running up and about tapping and fetching this precious commodity. (Many calling it ‘Fresh Manner from Heaven) free water! They were filling every empty can available.

“However, this water being collected on dirty, rusty and messed up iron sheets serving as roof to the houses is dangerous to drink before treating it, Hence a huge need for urgent intervention to supply water guard to clean the same. If not, will be solving another Health challenge,” says our local NGO partner Francis from the Mukuru Angaza film academy.

FLOODING

But the rain didn’t stop and huge parts of the slums were flooded. Inside the homes, everywhere. Many families will spend the night in cold and on top of water as houses are flooded, the water streams crisscrossing the slum and the Nairobi River are flooded.

“Our farm that we were growing vegetables and a chicken reading farm have been swept away by the raging flood waters. Our office at least for tonight shall be inaccessible.

We can only hope against hope that the situation settles soon. As now besides COVID19 virus and POVERTY virus, we are now faced with the FLOODS.”

If you can help, please feel free to contact. Your donations are highly appreciated. Here we collect money. For our project areas in Western Kenya and also our people in the slums. https://paypal.me/pools/c/8pKpKiCiP0