Well-wishers in Mombasa have come to the aid of children homes that have been hit hard by food shortages as the corona virus pandemic spreads impacting on the economy.
Taabarak children’s home in Kisauni which houses 100 children is the latest children’s home to report food shortage with its directors saying despite food rationing where the children jump at least a meal in a day, the situation is worsening.
Majority of the children are orphans whose parents died following the inter clan clashes that hit Tana River County in 2012.
Bohra Community Members Association Friday donated maize flour, cooking oil sanitizers and masks to the vulnerable children.
Through the organization’s director Sheikh Zuulkar Jivanji, they intend to rescue the children at this time when the covid19 has wreaked havoc hence cutting their donors.
He said they have donated foodstuffs and other requirements to other 10 children’s homes in the county including Nyumba ya wazee, Mombasa children’s homes in Kizingo and Mji wa salama among others.
“We as a community feel the pain these vulnerable children are undergoing and there is urgent need to help them and that is why we have extended our hands and we will continue doing the same,” said Mr Jivanji.
He called on other well-wishers to come out and donate to save the lives of the vulnerable.
“It is necessary that at this time of coronavirus, we take care of the vulnerable in the society. We challenge other donors even if the economy has been affected,” he noted.
The children home director Mrs. Aisha Ramadhan said they were contemplating shutting down the facility but they don’t know where to take the children.
She said they have been forced to ration the meal given to each child so that they could sustain them which she noted has negative implications.
“The disease has hindered access to donations. Unlike the schools that were closed indefinitely, here where can we take all these children. We are urgently calling on other well-wishers to come into our aid,” she said adding that other children from the neighbouring areas have been trooping their facility to get food and they can’t chase them.
By Joseph Kamolo
