This archive report was first published on 28 June 2020.
Centre for Intellectually Disabled Feeds the Needy Amid Covid-19 ¶
At a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has left many families struggling to make ends meet, a centre for intellectually disabled children in Kajiado County has taken it upon itself to feed hundreds of vulnerable families in the area.
Established in 2015, Don Orione Community Training Centre cares for autistic and dyslexic children and youth, and those with Down’s syndrome, and mental health problems, among other cognitive challenges. The centre operates with the support of a Catholic mission and donors.
However, since the outbreak of the pandemic, the centre has been not only a beacon of hope but also a source of food for hundreds of vulnerable families in Kandisi.
According to project manager Richard Magana, the centre has been providing lunch to hundreds of families daily, with the help of foodstuff donations and a lunch programme for the community. The relief package includes maize flour, cooking oil, rice, and a sanitation pack.
So far, the centre has fed more than 3,000 families, and continues to provide lunch to hundreds of others daily. The centre also sponsors a community awareness programme on Covid-19 prevention and management, which has so far reached 15,000 people in Rongai.
‘‘We’ve been able to educate the community on health and safety protocols recommended by the Ministry of Health. We’ve also distributed awareness material and supplied masks and sanitisers to residents,’’ Magana adds.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the centre has managed to maintain its operations, thanks to the support of donors and volunteers. The centre spends more than Sh40,000 every week to feed 200 people, which is supplemented with vegetables grown on its lush farm.
Other than the staff at the centre, 25 people volunteer in the programme. These are male seminarians of Divine Providence, a congregation of Catholics from Ngong Parish who are studying for priesthood.
‘‘We take their temperature and record it. We refer those with abnormally high temperature to the health centre. To get into the compound, all visitors have to sanitise their hands,’’ Magana says.
Inside the facility, the sitting arrangement is such that individuals take chairs spaced for up to two metres to prevent contact with one another. Interactions are also limited.
‘‘Instead of picking their own food, the centre prepares a balanced meal for them, which includes rice and bean stew, and vegetables in season,’’ Magana adds.
For families like Wavinya’s, who live with her elderly mother, who sells mandazi to fend for them, the centre has been a lifeline. ‘‘Getting another meal after this lunch is usually very difficult,’’ Wavinya says. ‘‘My baby and I would starve without this support.’’
