LE NYUMBA YA WATOTO AI TEMPI DEL CORONAVIRUS

Lockdown in Kenya is still in place despite easing of some restrictions, which are now less restrictive than some months ago. Staying at home is hard in a Country where most people live hand to mouth in an informal economy, have odd jobs and the bare minimum to survive day by day. The kids were forced not to go to school from March, and it’s anybody’s guess how this academic year will end, especially for those who were supposed to take the final exam and get the KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education). This exam is necessary to get into secondary school. Family house guests were given different instructions by the government according to the area: in Nairobi, they were not allowed to leave the facilities, whereas in Ukunda they were ordered to go back to their relatives. The families, included those which live far away and are unreachable, receive help to buy groceries at their nearest shops through Mpesa, a mobile payment system widely used in Kenya for many years now. In rural areas, social distancing is more easily kept; yet, if you stay at home, you have very little chance to get support in studying. It’s been two weeks since our operators started visiting the families living in the relatively close Shimba Hills, bringing books and school supplies to the kids in order for them to keep on studying, in the hope of a quick resolution.