by Jedidah Kimani, @jedidahKenya
Mombasa County is second in the nation in terms of the number of COVID-19 cases. However, it leads in terms of the number of deaths (51%).
A shocking story hit the nation concerning a mother in Kisauni, Mombasa County who cooked stones for her crying children hoping that they fall asleep by the time “food” will be ready. She was not alone in the battle against food insecurity. Nearly 12 million Kenyans annually are food insecure according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. This 2019-2020 season was worsened by floods in Western Kenya, locust invasions in Eastern Kenya, and finally the COVID-19 pandemic.
The central government has stepped up efforts to mitigate continued food insecurity during this COVID-19 crisis. It has suspended VAT taxes on valuable food commodities and has exempted food produce from the stringent curfews set up to mitigate the spread of the disease. Moreover, the local Mombasa County government has announced strategic food distribution centers for those in need. Yet vulnerable individuals such as the mother from Kisauni continue to suffer.
School children, forced to return home because of school shutdowns, have proved to be a burden on families. Udhamini is seeking donations in order to distribute food to our target student families. Consider donating now, see our donations page.
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