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Kenya: Affluent Alumni Help Vulnerable Lake Region Schools to Fight Covid

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4 years ago

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Until last week, more than 300 pupils at Bedie Primary School in Lambwe ward, Mbita sub-county, Homa Bay County, scrambled to wash their hands from two containers before going to class.

The pupils would line up at two handwashing points to clean their hands as recommended by health experts to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

It took a lot of time for all the learners to have their hands clean and this affected their studies as lessons would start late.

Today, however, all the children are able to start their lessons much earlier after additional containers were delivered to their school.

Having more handwashing points limits the amount of time each pupil takes to wash their hands.

The donation is part of an ongoing programme called “Adopt-a-School” that is being implemented by county governments under the Lake Region Economic Block (LREB) to help vulnerable schools overcome the challenges.

Under the programme, elite members of the society in the 14 LREB counties are encouraged to identify needs in schools around them and offer support.

It is part of interventions by the regional bloc to manage the Covid-19 crisis in the region.

For the past six months, LREB has reached out to 1,000 schools in the 14 counties under the programme.

Some 14,000 schools were yet to benefit from the Adopt-a-School programme, said LREB education pillar director Easter Okello.

“We started the project immediately schools reopened as a Covid-19 mitigation programme. Basically, we do resource mobilisation to buy soap, face masks and handwashing equipment,” she said.

At Bedie Primary School, access to clean water is a major challenge.

The institution is located in a semi-arid area in Homa Bay County where water sources are mainly boreholes and pans, which are also located far from homes.

Homa Bay County Agriculture Executive Aguko Juma, a resident of Lambwe, decided to adopt the school and support it.

He donated four handwashing containers to the school with a promise to give more support in the fight against Covid-19.

“I have also donated washable face masks, a carton of soap and a thermogun to the school to enable pupils to minimise the risks of contracting Covid-19,” he said.

When LREB came up with the programme, it was established that pupils in school play a major role in transmitting Covid-19.

Transmit the virus

During play time, children interact with one another. Back at home, they interact with their parents, and hence they can easily be superspreaders.

Some pupils whose parents are infected with Covid-19 can easily transmit the virus from their family to different families through their friends at school.

Governor Cyprian Awiti has directed all his cabinet members and other senior county officials to support local schools in managing Covid-19.

They are required to visit learning institutions around them and identify what is needed to stem the spread of the virus.

Mr Juma said to cut the chain of transmission, children need to be encouraged to wash their hands and practise other hygiene measures.

“With this idea, we will achieve great strides in controlling the virus,” he said.

Mr Juma used the opportunity to announce plans by the county government to supply clean water to the school to boost hygiene.

The school has an empty 10,000-litre water tank that was donated by World Vision.

But the distance to the nearest water point makes it hard for it to be filled with water.

“The school will soon start enjoying clean and safe water from the tank that would be delivered periodically in water bowsers. I will also encourage other community members to support this school and others around here,” the county executive said.

School headteacher Josephine Onyango said the programme will enable children at her school to stay safe from other diseases as well.