Protect 1800 people on Kokwa Island from Malaria

Happy New Year greetings from us and the communities that we work with. The year 2020 has gone and we have started another year where we are all optimistic that it will be more fruitful. The journey has been tough and we are happy we have walked with Kokwa community to this far. As earlier reported, we have been distributing food stuff and soaps to the vulnerable families in Kokwa Island. Thank you very much to all well-wishers and our friend for your continued support. When we started the initiative of supporting vulnerable families with food and bar soaps, we were not sure that we would do it for long. Thank you for the support as we have been distributing food and bar soaps to the needy families in Kokwa Island every month. It was not easy but through the generous contributions, we have made these families happy and healthy during the tough times of the covid 19. The situation is not any better but we hope it will be better in the course of the year. School going children suffered as well since March when the government closed all the schools. Most of them were getting lunch from school but since then, most of them had to adjust to 1 meal per day and a cup of tea in the morning. This is because most families could not afford 3 meals a day as the sources of their income were affected as well. Schools have been opened and students are back to school most of them enjoying lunch in the schools. The vulnerable families will continue receiving food and bar soaps support from us although it will not be for long. With your generous support we can prolong the duration as we hope things will normalize and people will start earning some incomes from different economic activities. On behalf of the Kokwa community, we convey our gratitude to everybody who has supported the community. Thank you very much as we wish all a fruitful blessed New Year 2021. We also request you for more support this year to enable us reach even more vulnerable families in the Island. They have approached us for support and we cannot accommodate more at the moment due to limited resources. With increase support, we will have more vulnerable families benefitting. Thank you in advance, stay safe and take care.

The covid 19 pandemic in the world has really made life very difficult to most people in different countries.  In Kenya, the pandemic has affected so many things negatively and vulnerable households and communities have been hit hard. The cost of living has been very high making things even worse since many people lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic thus making them even more vulnerable.  Situation in Kokwa Island has not been any better although we have been trying our best to support the most vulnerable families.  As previously reported, we started the intervention of distributing food stuff, masks and soaps to the families and we are happy to ensure monthly support to these families.  We have been distributing food and soap monthly an intervention that has been taken very positively by the Kokwa Island community appreciating the good gesture extended to the vulnerable families.  According to the ministry of health reports, the cases of infections are reducing thus giving some hopes of things getting better gradually.  We also hope that schools will be opened soon as they have been closed since March.  Closing of schools for that long has also affected many things negatively in the country.  Many school girls from different parts of the country have been reported to be pregnant since the closure of schools.  We have not received clear data from the Kokwa Island but we there are those who are pregnant and others have been into early marriages.  It is our hope that soon the virus will come to an end and normalcy will take place.  I take this opportunity on behalf of the Kokwa community to thank all those who have contributed to the success of the community and especially the great support channelled to the vulnerable families during the pandemic.  Thank you very much.