Close to two and a half thousand children at schools in Baringo county in northern Kenya received re-usable masks and training in safe usage, as the Irish Emergency Alliance continued its roll out of coronavirus protective equipment in East Africa.
Self Help Africa distributed masks, together with 100-litre water barrels with taps and hand washing soap and sanitizer to eight schools in the region. Teaching staff received information and training in the hazards posed by coronavirus, while students and families were provided with information on how to protect themselves at home from the virus. Posters and leaflets in local dialect were also erected on noticeboards in the schools.
Four-year-old Fatima Naboya (pictured), was one of the children to receive a reusable mask. Her mum, Hellen said that had received information on how to identify common symptoms of coronavirus, and what they should do to isolate if a member of the household fell ill. “There has been little information provided. We have been hearing about it on the radio, but have not been well prepared,” she said.
Self Help Africa also distributed Irish Emergency Alliance funded emergency supplies to families displaced by heavy rains which caused nearby Lake Baringo to overflow and destroy homes in the area, late last year. 150 displaced families were supported with masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus as well as much needed food supplies, including oil and grain, and temporary shelter.
Elsewhere, in Kisumu, Western Kenya, the Irish Emergency Alliance response has seen Self Help Africa distribute masks and coronavirus information to six agricultural depots and other aggregation points where farmers gather to bring produce for processing and ongoing transportation and sale.