Keeping Apart - Strong and Hopeful

In my role as Principal of the CES School of Continuing Education (CESCED), I am in touch with a number of CES Kenya graduates through the on-line Leadership Training Program and Social Media. Covid-19 has hit Kenya hard. Our students are struggling and it is clear that the support they are receiving from CES is making a difference.

CES Kenya has assisted nearly 100 of our alumni to carry on with their on-line university studies. Funds for the basics of accommodation, food and personal hygiene resources as well as money to buy internet access have encouraged our students to remain strong and hopeful.

The majority of our students have returned home to their small rural farms in poor communities. This has added extra stress on them and their families as they struggle to survive with few work opportunities due to the restrictions. 

CES Kenya staff have stayed in close contact with our students to support and encourage them. The Alumni have banded together to create support networks and helpful communications. CES students have not been abandoned or forgotten. 

I recently invited a number of our students to tell us how they were doing and what they were missing due to Covid-19. Their responses show a larger picture of personal loss and pain — resilience and inner strength. What is clear in life is that we can all deal with tough times when we have support and encouragement. 

“Am joyful to report that I received support for Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore now we're able to purchase the necessary protective gear against the Covid-19 virus as well as the infrared non-contact digital thermometer for screening the virus. In addition we now can purchase face shields and more masks and hand sanitizers. Thanks so much for the funds, these are greatly appreciated.” Dr Musli Wetende Busuku - CES Graduate and currently Director Uzima House Medical Clinic 

“I just want to say a very, very big thanks to you for this truly awesome boost you blessed me with. I am indeed gratified by your care and heart of compassion. The pandemic has drawn hardship into our lives and the hard life conditions seems to have doubled up. Your aid came in at the right time, in the most handy situation. The day before, my mother did not know how she would pay rent which was overdue by two months. Threats of being forced to vacate were all clear as we had been denied access to water and electricity ... Life really seemed hard. Thanks to CES, our rent is now settled.” Julius Omondi, Yr 2 BSc Kenyatta University

“The Covid 19 pandemic era is challenging indeed; we are going through it stride by stride and feet by feet. There are so many things that I am now missing. I am missing campus life, the place we enjoyed studying, the tough times being poor where your pocket had been approached more than enough. I think of the CES Canada Day Run, CES Excursions to Rondo, visiting great Kenyans like Joseph Inima, visits to my alma mater, Form 4 seminar events to name a few. 

I miss visits by my CES family and friends of CES Kenya and CES Canada the likes of Dennis White and Carl Friesen. And our mentor Patricia Makori, I miss her talking to us one on one and inviting CES Alumni and especially the G7 and G8 to contribute to valuable discussions. I am missing watching great teams like AFC Leopard and Chelsea FC play great matches and especially when they win, being a lover of football. I miss Michael speaking Swahili in his Canadian accent, Mzee Malik patronizing many CES meet-ups, Sarah Nabongo for how she cares for us all. I am missing my CES family,” Allan Utumbi BSc (Computer Studies) Kisii University

“I take this opportunity to thank you and CES at large for being supportive to me. Am grateful for the financial support I have received to help me access internet and power for the e-learning. During this period of corona virus pandemic the university has introduced an online learning platform and I have now registered. I am really very grateful for you being there for me in entire journey of my academic studies.” Sharon Walekhwa Yr 5 Agriculture Engineering - Egerton University

“I was stuck — I needed help to purchase internet wi-fi to complete school assignments. I am back on track. I have also purchased fertilizer for my vegetable farm. This will help feed my family. Each time I spend a single cent, I think of you CES.” William Lubanga - CES Graduate

“Life has shifted from normal to abnormal and we are trying our best to cope up with every situation we now face. I miss my teaching practice as I love interacting with students of Kilimo High School. I miss my parents and siblings too as I last saw them in September 2019. Despite this challenges I deeply appreciate the moral support and CES efforts to keep us going through financial hardships.” Immeldah Khasoa, CES Graduate

“I am a second year student at Murang'a University of Technology pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Education Science; Mathematics and Physics. When the government disbanded all learning activities, we were directed to embark home due to Covid-19 confirmed cases. I didn't manage to travel back home, the transport cost was high and there was fear of contracting the virus. And so I traveled to my brother's place in Nairobi. We are staying at Chokaa, a noisy market with dozens of similar buildings, windows wide open onto the alleyway, families inside yet living very publicly.

Chokaa is a densely populated market area with about 20 families often crammed into one building and sharing the same bathrooms and toilets. They are living with the erroneous belief that the virus isn't deadly. Fear and stigma about the virus is our greatest enemy right now. Three weeks ago four people were suspected to have contacted the virus. The residents agitated until they were taken away to isolation centres and later confirmed positive. Since then there has been no single response by the government either by conducting testing or tracing contacts with those infected despite continuous claims by the residents with similar unexplained spikes of Covid-19 cases. To make matters worse, people still ignore measures that have been put in place by the Ministry of Health. They still crowd, publicly violating social distancing without wearing face masks.

With the scarcity of water, many shops have not yet complied with the government request to put water, soap and sanitizers at the entrances. It's tough mentally and emotionally for us at the moment, living with fear of the virus spreading virtually undetected. The potential disaster is unimaginable since people still have to walk out of the house to look for money, work and to sustain the family. This is putting many of us at risk of being infected. It's getting worse, but it's my hope that the government will assist the vulnerable residents of Chokaa.

It's my prayer that God will give us strength and courage to be able to win the fight against this unpredictable pandemic. It's the hardest time, but I believe things will get better soon. I do appreciate your continuous concern and attention towards me as one of the CES alumni.Your kind support at these unprecedented times is much appreciated.” Gammaliel Kanenje, CES Graduate

“I love staying in touch with my friends and relatives. But since Covid-19 struck, I've had to resort myself to chatting with most of my friends and relatives via social media, and through calls. I had to relocate back to the village to be with my dad and siblings, but then that meant sacrificing the good times I used to enjoy with my friends who stay in town. I can't complain much about being away from my close family members because we're staying in the village together now. The problem is, since prison visits are strictly restricted, I can't find a way to visit and see my brother there, and that really frustrates me.

I miss going to church to worship without the fear of getting corona, especially with the fact that any negligence from my end would cause harm to my sick dad. That means avoiding congregations and attending events as much as possible, because that will mean risking his health. I also miss out on our planned CES Alumni activities for this year, including visits to schools and the Divine Providence Orphanage. Staying in touch, praying for each other, following protocols are critical to beat this pandemic. So let’s stay together — apart.” Melvin Wafula 

“I’m currently working with Community Initiative for Rural Development (CIFORD-KENYA), a community based organization based in Meru-Kenya. As a Health Officer, I have the privilege of helping to solve health challenges at the community and family levels. We are focussing on three key strategies: making and distribution of face masks, distribution of hand washing detergents and door to door health promotion through community sensitization about coronavirus.

Over the past three months I follow this routine…waking up in the morning with the 20 liters container of detergent on my motorbike and the face masks in my bag…moving around within the community where we visit the families…talking to them about why they should stay at home, and heed to the call of social distancing. I install a simple hand washing tippy tap and enlighten them practically on proper way of washing hands. I provide them with one litre of the detergent per family, provide them with face masks and educate them on how, when and why they should put it on. And finally, I explain to the families in simple terms about the virus, its mode of transmission and preventive measures in the language they can understand best.

I have seen how people are struggling under Covid-19. Recently I met a 6 six year old, little Emmy. She had made her face mask using the carrier bag material and threads from blankets. Her mother told us that Emmy is known to be innovative. The proud mum continued by saying that out of fear Emmy told her that she do not want to die and that is what propelled her in making that simple mask. I personally replaced Emmy’s face mask with the one I had carried in my bag. That was a happy moment for me.

It is so humbling to work within rural communities. The reason is, the families treasure the face masks and the detergent so much to an extend that you get blessings in return; not only through the word of mouth, but also through food stuffs like pumpkins, chickens and other local foods. The families believe everybody has forgotten about them leaving CIFORD-KENYA being the only organization through me that has remembered them. The community receives that little we give them with two hands not taking it for granted. 

I am meeting families that have been devastated. They are going through so much, starving due to lack of food; and, with all the children at home looking at the father who is financially constrained and totally unable to meet the needs of the family. I empathize with them, I wish I could do more to help them. Finally I wish to join the world in praying and hoping that normalcy returns, to the CES fraternity I assure you that this too shall pass!” Dennis Were, BSc (Health Sciences) Meru University