Irene's story: "The mask and soap production project came at just the right time"
Irene Auma is 24 years old and lives with her two small children in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Kariobangi district. An estimated few hundred thousand people live there in cramped conditions, sometimes under the most difficult conditions, in often informal huts. There is hardly any infrastructure and most people live from casual labor. Their living conditions have been further exacerbated by the consequences of the pandemic and the lockdown.
A good Christmas despite the pandemic
"The COVID-19 crisis brought so many challenges. My husband is a casual worker and was out of work for a month. I stepped in and took on housework so we could even have enough to eat. We couldn't pay the rent and the landlord foreclosed on us. Malteser International and IECE came at the right time with the mask and soap production project. The soap and masks also helped the community a lot to protect themselves during the pandemic," says Irene Auma. "Thanks to the support and food distributions, we were able to celebrate Christmas. We had enough to eat and we were happy."
In Kenya, we helped with distributions of food and hygiene items to needy families in impoverished settlements in Nairobi after the Corona pandemic broke out. We also supported local health interventions and provided 27 health posts with protective equipment. The facilities received protective suits, surgical masks, gloves, disinfectants and hand-washing stations, among other items.
