At the eastern part of the busy city, Nairobi, lies Mathare valley slum, one of the oldest informal settlements in Kenya. On the morning of 26th March, Emily a resident from Mathare prepares to join a number of residents within settlement who will be volunteering at the hand washing stations that will be set up at the different villages. This was following, the confirmation of the first case of Covid-19 in Kenya, whereby various efforts have since been channeled towards protecting the health and well being of communities.

In Mathare, residents within the settlement grapple with erratic water supply on day-to-day basis coupled with high water tariffs. Residents queue for hours at the limited water points for their turn to fetch water. Frequent inadequate water supply renders it difficult for residents to frequently wash their hands, being one of the measures that has been set towards preventing the spread of the Virus.

Stations such as these in different settlements are staffed by volunteers like Emily Wangare, who are also able to share with the community more about the virus and how to prevent through regularly ensuring they clean their hands and disinfect their surfaces at home. Efforts to set up hand cleaning stations have also been complimented with provision of antibiotic soap to various households within the settlement.

"There still exists a gap in reaching out to our communities and sensitizing on the existence and impact of this Virus.I believe efforts such as these will go a long way in filling this gap. '' Emily Wangare.

The Curfew

As the sun went down over the city on Friday evening, the city's normally vibrant streets were unusually calm. At 7 pm, even those carrying out last-minute errands had dispersed as the nation wide curfew came into effect. 27th March marked the beginning of a 7 pm to 5 am curfew issued by the Kenyan government to add on to the efforts to curb the spread of the virus. The decision although necessary has yet to take fully into account the needs of the informal city dwellers mostly comprised of daily wage laborers, low-income groups who invest late hours into their jobs. Slums keeps the wheels of the city turning as majority of the the slum dwellers earn their living from the informal sector, and many informal entrepreneurs have clienteles extending to the rest of the city. As as the country clocks 15 days since the country's first case was reported, it is becoming increasingly evident that the true challenges lie in ensuring communities such as these who keep the wheels of the city spinning are able to sustain themselves through addressing and meeting their local needs. Muungano, aims to build on partnerships between key stakeholders including organised groups so as to work together to identify and offer practical solutions to the needs of the residents in these settlements.

How to protect yourself and others, Ministry of Health, Kenya.

1.Wash your hands frequently

2. Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with soap and water or disinfect your hands using alcohol-based sanitizer. Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or disinfecting using alcohol-based sanitizer kills viruses that may be on your hands.

4.Maintain social distancing. Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they release liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain the virus. This easily exposes individuals who are too close, as they risk breathing in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.

5.Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth. Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth.

6. Practice respiratory hygiene. Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately. Why? Droplets can spread the virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.