The Director of research at the Kenya National Museums Dr. Evans Taracha has rolled out a relief programme aimed at supporting vulnerable families in Likuyani Sub County.
In his address to the beneficiaries Dr. Taracha said his aim was to ensure Likuyani residents especially the vulnerable groups survive during the Coronavirus pandemic.
He said it was regrettable that due to the biting economy occasioned by the Coronavirus, some of the families have been forced to go without food.
“It’s important to reach out to susceptible families with any support available to improve their lives because we still don’t know where the Coronavirus will take us,” said Taracha.
He disclosed that assistant chiefs and village elders were involved in identifying most vulnerable families who have not benefited from government’s and other organizations’ support with the selected families set to receive food and non-food items to cushion them from the ripple effects of Coronavirus.
He said it was disappointing that most of the vulnerable persons depended on casual labor to get food while some relied on their children to support them but with the outbreak of the virus most work places have been shut down thus leaving them without any help adding that many elderly people do suffer in silence as a result of food shortage.
“Elderly persons and other needy people need assistance so that they don’t suffer as the world fights the killer virus which is interfering with the economy as time goes by,” said Taracha.
His team led by Mr. Patrick Wanda and Kelly Mwangani Khadiagala commenced the exercise of distributing the donation to about 100 families that have been struggling to get food among other basic necessities in Sinoko ward.
“Today we have distributed food and non-food items to residents of Nzoia, Mwiba, Namunyiri and Milimani sub locations in Sinoko ward and we have planned to go to all the five wards with each ward having its on programme and specific days,” said Wanda.
Mwiba sub location assistant chief Alber Wekesa Simiyu thanked Dr. Taracha for the good gesture and urged more Kenyans of goodwill to support the needy families during this period.
“This is a good gesture started Dr. Taracha, and I’m appealing on other Kenyans of good will, philanthropists, to chip in and ensure our needy people transit through this pandemic period smoothly,” said Wekesa.
His sentiments were echoed by his colleagues Daniel Okwalo Mudenyo of Nzoia sub location, Moses Okumu Sichangi of Mlimani and Caroline Vugutsa Olusala of Namunyiri sub location.
A number of beneficiaries who spoke said the donations would cushion them during this hard economic times brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.
One of the beneficiaries Mr. Martin Khaoya who is disabled said he had been affected by the pandemic and had no resources to provide for himself and his household.
During the exercise each of the identified families received maize flour, rice, green grams, soap among other items.