By Michelle Dovi Klouvi | junior project manager
Dear donor,
The Covid-19 in Kenya is causing damage not only to health or economy. The suspension of most of the activities and the resulting economic crisis have reduced the livelihoods of a large part of the population, the most vulnerable.
Although the government has activated toll-free numbers, social pages and other forms of information for people (using radio, television, etc.) and the Ministry of Education has developed strategies of communication to further the learning of young people, a most citizens can't even afford the connection to the internet or a cell phone.
Another problem is the lack of food supply for all children who could take advantage of a meal a day at school. Now many of them may be forced to carry out income-generating activities for their survival and to help their families in trouble. As reported in a study by African Population and Health Research Center, this is increasing the risk of girls prostituting themselves as a "bargaining chip" to gain access to essential needs that are now lacking: not only food, but also tampons and tickets for transportation.
The other situation that is shaking Kenya is the increase in the number of underage girls getting pregnant.
The main reason for this is the closure of schools, which leads to teenagers to hang out with each other, but also adults to abuse them. These are alarming statistics because according to a survey, only 2% of teenager mothers go back to school, at least in the short time. Most adolescent pregnancies in Kenya are unintended: more than a third of these girls decide to have an abortion and this leads to complications and infections and often to death in childbirth.
Covid-19 has not yet reached the Embu district, where our children live, but the closure of the schools, with all the above consequences, certainly does not improve the situation.
We hope with all our heart that the situation will improve as soon as possible, restoring an already precarious balance.
Thank you for your support!
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