This archive report was first published on 6 August 2020.
Reuben Maina, a laboratory technician at Enkinda Secondary School, was faced with a daunting challenge in March 2020 when the government shut down all learning institutions across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With his Sh10,000 monthly pay stopped, Maina had to find a way to support his family. He had a wife and a five-year-old child to care for, and the abrupt closure of schools had left him without a steady income.
After exploring various options, Maina came up with an innovative solution. He started selling educational revision materials in the streets of Nyamira town and other small centres. His friend, who owned a cyber cafe, helped him print the materials, and Maina sold them on a commission basis until he had saved enough to start duplicating, binding, and labelling his own stock.
On a good day, Maina makes a profit of up to Sh500, which is enough for his bus fare and upkeep for the family. He is among more than 200,000 other members of the teaching and non-teaching staff whose payments were stopped after the government shut down all learning centres in March.
As Maina continues to find ways to survive through these difficult times, he is not alone. His colleagues at Enkinda Secondary School are also struggling to make ends meet, especially those still on duty like security guards.
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