Residents of Nairobi's Mathare and Kibera slums are set to benefit from an initiative by the European Union dubbed 'Pamoja Dhidi ya Corona'.
The Sh66.25 initiative was launched by Search For Common Ground in collaboration with the European Union to help marginalised communities in Kenya to combat Covid-19 pandemic.
The 15-month initiative will enable the communities to fully implement Ministry of Health's measures to curb the spread of the deadly virus. The funds will help the communities to protect themselves from covid-19.
“This initiative is essentially about strengthening the connections between Kenyan citizens in marginalised communities and the rest of society, as well as the government, and about preserving and strengthening the social contract during the pandemic,” EU Ambassador to Kenya Simon Mordue said.
Mordue spoke during the launch of the initiative at the Park Inn Hotel in Nairobi, Thursday. It's part of of a global team of EU members that fosters response the pandemic.
The EU envoy also noted that Team Europe is giving Kenya about Sh40 billion in support during the pandemic through different measures as EU’s solidarity continues beyond health crisis.
The development comes when the numbers in Kenya continues to spike. The numbers in now stand at 20,636 after the Ministry of Health announced 723 new infection on friday.
Judy Kimano of Search For Common Ground said the initiative will include everyone on board to fight the virus.
“Everyone wants to be safe from the virus but measures to address the pandemic haven’t always considered different needs and perspectives, leading to resistance and instances of violence,” she said.
Pamoja Dhidi ya Corona initiative also has feature that address social cohesion and human rights social media campaign, involving locally adapted messages, skits, and short personal videos, as well as 32 Covid-19 specific Community Governance Dialogue Forums.
The forums will be held every month in Kibera and Mathare in Nairobi, Kilifi, Tana River, Mombasa and Garissa counties.
Across the border, the initiative will be rolled out in Uganda, Uganda and Nigeria at a cost of Sh265 million.