Meet Derick Omondi, a Hatua high school beneficiary whose family is among those that have benefitted from Hatua’s Nutritional Support Program. Derick is currently in Form 3 at Lenana High School, he has three siblings but is the only child currently staying with her mother in Likoni.
It is so touching to still see these two smiling considering what they have been through. Sadly, Derick’s mother was diagnosed with Tuberculosis in April after a family friend came to the rescue. When the Coronavirus pandemic hit the country in March, Derick’s mother became even more afraid of seeking medical help as she thought she had the Coronavirus. She was also afraid of being quarantined and leaving Derick behind, not knowing how she would be able to afford the exorbitant medical fees, and to top it off, experiencing the stigma that would come with being a Coronavirus victim.
Derick has been so supportive of the mum during this entire period, from managing the business, doing house chores, and also balancing with his revision during the long stay at home. ‘’Never has he ever talked back at me, never” Mother.
Because of the disease, Derick’s mother, who makes a living from selling vegetables in her kiosk, was struggling to work and the economic effect of the pandemic was not helping. Derick has had to step up helping her mother run the kiosk while at the same time juggling this with studying.
Derick’s day starts at 5 am every day, he does his personal study for two hours before three other Hatua students join him at their home for 3 hours of group study. He does a little more personal studying after that and takes over the running of his mother’s kiosk so that she can rest.
In order to keep our beneficiaries engaged during this pandemic, Hatua has organized and facilitates 55 study groups and has also involved 67 university students to tutor our high school students in these groups.
The economic disruptions from COVID-19 have left MSMEs in Kenya struggling to survive and Derick’s mother’s business is not an exception. Their income significantly reduced due to reduced working hours, movement, disrupted supply chains, and a fall in demand.
From as early as April, our team has regularly checked in with all our beneficiaries and has continuously identified families like Derick’s’ which are in need of direct Nutritional Support. Through the generosity of our donors, we have ensured that our most affected families get at least one meal per day.
By making phone calls to all families every two weeks we have monitored our families’ economic situation and provided support through direct cash transfers using mobile money.
The food support I receive from Hatua every month has really been of great help to my family, I don’t know what I would have done without that” explains Derick’s mother. “The reason I am so grateful even during these trying times has been because Hatua has been a strong support system for our family.” She adds.
The COVID-19 pandemic is still rife! Even as a section of high school students has resumed school, Derick’s mother is restless. She is already struggling to put food on the table and cannot imagine incurring the costs of taking her child back to school. “Business has been very low”, she cries. She is also worried about the safety of her son as his high school was one of the quarantine facilities in the country. For now, she only hopes her son will be safe in the event they are asked to go back to school.