Coping with COVID-19 in Kenya
"He has shown you, O Man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:8
Kibera Informal Settlement, Nairobi, Kenya
St. Jerome Anglican Church is located in the heart of Kibera.
In Kenya, those who have been affected the most by the pandemic are the poor. Those living in “informal settlements” (i.e. slums) are the ones most likely to have lost income due to the restrictions in place to slow the virus.
Factories that hire casual laborers have shut their doors, women who work as daily house help in affluent neighborhoods can no longer get to their jobs, and with the paralysis of the construction industry, the men and youths who worked on building sites have now lost their jobs. Those who operate small businesses such as vegetable venders can’t sell and since movie showrooms have closed down, the many youths who run such entertainment centers have been rendered jobless.
St. Jerome has supported over 226 families with basic supplies.
It is an economic nightmare for those already living on the economic margins of society.
St. Jerome Parish is based in the heart of Kibera, the biggest urban slum in Africa. Part of a network of Anglican churches serving the settlement, St. Jerome and five other parishes have nearly 1,500 registered members. They have a front row seat to the needs of this community.
In order to meets these needs, St. Jerome created the “Share Care Package” initiative, which has pulled resources together to reach out to the families who are greatly affected by this pandemic.
ARDF granted St. Jerome $2,500 for Share Care Packages which were used initially to supply 60 families with basics like flour, beans, rice, cooking oil, and soap. Overall, 226 families have been helped.
“Good greetings from Kenya. I hope and pray that you are well. [While this is ] just a snapshot, on Friday we were able to feed 60 members of St Jerome parish. The total number of households is adding to 226. We are planning to feed another 60 members on Tuesday and another on Friday. Today in our services, the members were grateful for your support.”
– Rev. Zadock Oluoch, Vicar, St. Jerome Parish
ARDF is grateful to our many donors who have allowed us to help some of the most marginalized in these difficult times
Thank you!
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