Various organisations have continued giving relief material to victims of floods and other vulnerable members of the society.
The Brookside Dairy has donated a one month milk supply worth Sh. 677,000 to vulnerable families to in Bondo and Rarieda Sub Counties.
The donation which was given through the Anglican Church of Kenya Bondo diocese will support 300 families affected by floods in the region.
In a speech read by the Regional Sales Manager, Alfred Makori, Brookside Dairy region Sales Director, Elias Ocholla said the company has a dedicated customer base in the Lake region and it is natural that they reciprocate during the hard times.
“As our contributions towards alleviating the suffering of our customers in the affected zones, we wish to announce that we are donating our high quality milk worth Sh. 677,000 to be used to feed those afflicted by floods,” said Ocholla.
Speaking during the occasion the Bondo ACK Bishop, Prof. David Kodia said as a diocese have been working closely with partners to mobiles support for those affected by floods and the COVID 19 outbreak.
Meanwhile, in Migori at least 150 victims of floods in Nyatike Sub County of Migori County have received an assortment of relief donation from the Rotary Club of Suna-Migori.
The relief supply worth Sh 500,000 was yesterday handed over to the needy people at Kabuto Primary school by the club’s President Joseph Ayieko.
The donation included sugar, maize meal, cooking oil and an assortment of items such blankets, re-usable sanitary pads and water treatment drugs among others.
Ayieko while presiding over the brief function attended by grassroots leaders advised the people to make efforts of relocating to safer places with a view to avoiding disturbances by the ferocious floods hitting them every year.
The Homa Bay southern Nyanza Anglican Church of Kenya through its department of Episcopal Relief and Development Emergency Response Services has started distributing relief aids to more than 70,000 needy and vulnerable families across the region.
The identified families are those whose houses, crops and personal belongings were destroyed by floods and backflow of Lake Victoria water levels.
The church mobilized its resources and purchased the relief aids to the affected families through its department known as the Anglican Development Services (ADS). Some of the donations included maize, beans, rice and bars of soap.
Speaking during the official launch at St. Luke’s Ogongo ACK Parish in Lambwe ward of Suba North constituency Diocesan Bishop, Simon Onyango said many of the identified families are severely affected such that they cannot afford to meet basic needs on their own.
Elsewhere, in the Coastal region, Kwale based Australian mining firm Base Titanium has commenced the third phase of its Emergency Relief Food Programme targeting to feed 2,500 vulnerable families in Kwale County and Likoni Sub-County of Mombasa whose lives have been affected by the covid-19 pandemic.
Beneficiaries of the third phase, include families in Msambweni sub county of Kwale who used to work in the hospitality industry such as hotel staff, tour operators, bars and restaurants operators as well as safari and curio sellers.
The Base Titanium Community Relations Manager, Pius Kassim on Thursday said the food assistance by the foreign mining firm is aimed at alleviating the burden of food insecurity of the most vulnerable households in the face of the covid-19 pandemic.
Kassim said Base Titanium also aims to offer pre-package food hampers to fishermen in areas around Gazi and Galu in Kinondo, boat operators across the Diani shores, commercial sex workers and massage therapists who have all lost income.
He added that Base Titanium is proud to have its covid-19 mitigation initiatives recognized with an Uzalendo Award by President Uhuru Kenyatta during the Madaraka Day celebrations.
“Thank you to all our partners, the national and county governments, Kenya Red Cross and all the volunteers for your continued support” he said.
Meanwhile, the Kerio Valley Development Authority in-conjunction with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation have spent over Sh.10 million in support towards Covid-19 interventions in North Rift region.
Speaking in Kapenguria during the handing over of part of the donation to the West Pokot governor, John Lonyangapuo, the KVDA Managing Director, Sammy Naporos said the donation was meant to supplement the counties and national governments’ efforts in the fight against the coronavirus.
The donation included seven hand washing booths, 60,000 pieces of face masks, 12 litres of sanitizers and 700 water tanks of a capacity of 200 litres each to be distributed across the county.
Naporos said the Authority targeted to reach more than 200,000 people in the region during this time of pandemic.
“We know this is a pandemic which has affected the whole world and nobody is spared. Our donation targets small and medium enterprises people within the urban centres, in the markets and those working in the farms will also benefit,” he said.
He advised residents to observe and abide by health regulations by wearing masks, maintaining 1-metre distance and regularly washing their hands with clean water and soap.
“We hope that over 200,000 people from the county will gain from the support as the county is at risk of contracting corona virus as it borders Uganda and there is a lot of cross border trade taking place along the border,” noted the MD.
“We want people to observe the Ministry of Health regulations and directives. They should observe social distance rule and put on face masks. The pandemic is affecting every sector of the society. Nobody can claim to be safe but you will only be so when you observe the health directives,” he said.
Lonyangapuo said every ward would get a share of the donations and that the items would be stationed at the county’s strategic entry points.
The governor said the donation is a boost to the on-going hand washing campaign in the fight against the coronavirus and that 95% of eliminating corona virus was through regularly washing of hands.
“My utmost appreciation to KVDA for their donation. They will be stationed at county’s strategic entry points. We have a challenge because our County borders Uganda. We have put the hand washing booths at Makutano stage, in Sub County hospitals and the main referral hospital. We want the long distance drivers to adhere to the rules,” said Lonyangapuo.
He asked the locals to take a lot of caution given that pointed out that cases have been recorded in Turkana, Trans Nzoia Counties and in Uganda at Amudat area bordering Pokot North Sub County.
He asked those who were still in lock down counties to stay there because their travel could spread the disease.
He urged KVDA to repair 10 houses that were in bad condition at Turkwel gorge and pledged that the county government would reconstruct six.
“The mini state lodge is in deplorable condition; the roof has fallen off and it seem like the place has been neglected by the authority. Let’s reconstruct the houses so that we can boost the economy of the county,” he said.
John Pkiech, a County Youth leader said the items would help a lot to avert the spread of the killer disease.
“We want other organizations to come in. Residents in this place have no capacity but only depend on well-wishers. We thank KVDA,” he said.
By KNA TEAM
