For Homabay and Migori Counties
As communities become more fragile to Covi-19, due to lack of awareness on preventive measures to mitigate against contracting and spreading coronavirus, Riana Development Network initiated training and sensitization meetings to connect the communities with the right information and opportunities towards combating the spread of Covid-19 – sanitizing hands with alcohol based solution, thoroughly washing hands for at least 20 minutes with soap and running water, keeping a safe distance and wearing masks in public places at all times. As His Excellency, Hon Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of Kenya called upon everyone to practice health discipline to control the spread of Covid-19.
As the spread of coronavirus grips the world, Kenyan government has called on the general public to remain indoors. A 14 days mandatory quarantine – staying in secluded facility under the watch of medical practitioners for the 14 days coronavirus incubation period. A national call for curfew starting at 7:00pm to 6:00 am for 21 days in both urban and rural areas was initiated, sending people in to panic as movement was restricted and offices and business forced to close indefinitely.
Kenya’s informal sector takes up to 81% of total working population (UN; Dec 2016), majority of these employees live on temporary contracts and/or contested daily jobs opportunities for daily/weekly pay. The closure of business prompted drastic movement to rural areas mostly among slum dwellers. Homabay and Migori was directly affected and forced to report their first 2 cases of Covid-19 in just two weeks when a couple of youth left the city with an empty coffin to seek refuge in their rural homes, navigating barricaded roadblocks and checkpoints. For this matter, Creating Decent Employment and Opportunities (CREDEEP) Program through Riana Development Network (RDN) stepped up to collaborate with County Government of Homabay, Migori and Local Development Partners in spreading awareness and ensuring public safety. CREDEEP Program Manager Mr. George Orero met with Risper Adhanja, the CEO of Twende Pamoja and other staff and stakeholders on 22nd April 2020 at RDN Office in Magina to deliberate and plan how to contribute to national and local efforts towards stopping the spread of Covid-19. Trainings are mainly done in open areas like schools.
Riana Development Network and local development partners agreed to consolidate efforts to kick off training on signs and symptoms of coronavirus, how coronavirus is spread, personal care against coronavirus, how to protect others against coronavirus, thorough handwashing, how to wear, manage and dispose of masks, national help lines and emergency numbers, local centers and resources among other issues. Besides, some of our beneficiaries are people living positive, therefore RDN and CREDEEP program was put on the spot for the fact that coronavirus has high mortality rate on people with pre-exiting medical conditions. Other than training on how to manage and stay safe from Covid-19, our team put more efforts on expanding kitchen gardens, providing safe water for consumption and growing more food especially fruits and vegetables to help boost people’s immunity, the milk from out goats and eggs from the chicken projects came a long way in providing much needed food. Efforts against covid-29 started mainly in North and South Kabuoch divisions. We have minimized field work and training to avoid crowding. Currently, we use follow up calls and/or having village mobilizers share project photos where necessary.
