SINGING AWAY COVID-19
by Lorraine Anyango
11 year old Marvin Okumu, resorted to singing, the best way he knew to help put food on the table for his mom and six other siblings.
Vexed with hunger pangs, as his mother’s vegetable kiosk could no longer sufficiently cater for them, young Okumu composed a song on Covid 19, picking information from main stream media.
Armed with the song, he took to the streets and different offices to entertain people in exchange for a few coins to temporarily offer relief to his families’ current predicament.
Information officers from Kisumu County caught up with the young lad as he presented his song in different county offices there after seeking for financial support from his listeners.
“Can I sing for you a song on corona?” He queried “When I do so will you support me financially to help my mother buy food and the remaining money I will save to enable me record my songs “He added
As soon as he got a nod from the officers, he sounded to a rap beat recounting the effects and impacts of the corona pandemic and calling on leading including President Uhuru Kenyatta and Kisumu Governor Prof.Peter Nyongo to take the necessary steps to protect Kenyan citizens from further negative effects of Corona.
The class five boy together with his mother Esther Awino and his siblings breathed a sigh of relief as officers from the County’s special programs department were called in to intervene.
“I sell traditional vegetables at Mama safi Nyalenda estate here in Kisumu, where I live with my seven children after the demise of my husband in 2018.” Awino said.
“Though we live from hand to mouth, it’s been even harder to afford a meal for my children at the setting in of Corona virus.” She added.
She received rice, beans, cooking oil, soap, salt, maize meal and sugar. “Thank you so much, ohh Gorofa ya Nyongo imenisaidia”. said the young boy as they received the supplies.
Awino’s family is part of those who have benefitted from the partnership between the Kisumu county government and the community.
The family received food donations handed over to them by Covid 19 secretariat coordinator Ms Lilian Ligeyo and the special programs Administration officer, Ms Risper Anyango.
Ms Ligeyo stated that they have already distributed food supplies to 300 household in the last three weeks, adding that they ate targeting 7000 house hold which have been adversely affected with both the floods and Covid 19.
They were prepairing packages that will be given out by Kisumu Governor Prof. Nyongo to 3,000 households in Seme, Nyando and Nyakach sub counties.
The partnership committee targets data of 30,000 families that need food, at the time of going to the press the data already in was totaling to 15,000.
The committee is led by Mr Yogi Dauda and Mr Leornard Kwame who is the director administration and governance.
So far Kibos, Sugar, Jubilee Jambo, Diakonia compassionate ministry, Kesha, Living good, Kmet, Make me smile, KBL among others have contributed to the Covid 19 Kitty among others have sent contribution to aid needy families in this season.
