A man stands at Skuta shopping centre in Nyeri town with a handful of people around him, though observing social distancing.
On a closer look, we realise he is asking questions as the people raise their hands to answer. We later learn that Ndiritu Wanjohi, 60, is a former Kiswahili teacher but today he is here on another mission, not to teach the language. He uses his skills to sensitise people on Covid-19 through ‘simple quiz for free mask’ approach.
He has come out of retirement to use the approach he knows best to voluntarily educate people on coronavirus prevention.
Armed with his personal vehicle, a Toyota DX, and a public address system mounted on top of it, he proceeds to the next station after giving out several masks to his best ‘students’.
He asks questions and whoever gets the answer right is awarded a free face mask. In case they all get it wrong, he gives them the answer and proceeds to the next question.
Areas covered include precautions and self-protection measures, statistics on confirmed cases, recoveries and deaths reported in daily briefings by the Ministry of Health.
Others pertain to the spread in other countries such as that with highest cases in Africa, and the action the government is taking against people who fail to observe its directives. Other than making learning fun, Wanjohi, who retired last year, says the approach creates awareness of the disease and ensures residents keep abreast with what is happening in the world.
“Whatever I am doing is for the masses to know there is Covid-19 and they should keep abreast with what is happening even in other countries,” he says.
The teacher also emphasises the need to be looking for information on the disease in print and electronic media as well as follow briefings from leaders. This, he believes, will enable people to swiftly disseminate the right information, adding that when most Kenyans are well informed, it will be easy to conquer the virus.
“When you have the information, you will also get to tell others what is happening back home and in other countries. That will still help people here to understand more about the virus and take precaution,” he says.
The teacher believes through this approach, he has been able to add value to people in areas he has visited who earlier had little information on the disease.
“Even if I add value to one person a day, I will have played my role,” Wanjohi says.
He was motivated to take the step after learning how people were suffering and dying after contracting the disease. There was one hurdle though. He had no resources, hence reached out to well-wishers and the Nyeri government to provide him with the masks.
“I wrote to Governor Mutahi Kahiga for assistance and he gave me 200 face masks, to begin with. But since they are limited, I had to devise a way of distributing them,” he tells the Star.
“I also feared that if I decided to distribute them indiscriminately, people would scramble for them and be at risk of getting the virus.”
The teacher believes the approach will motivate people to yearn for more information about Covid-19 and learn from others during his daily sessions. He calls on well-wishers with three-ply masks, sanitiser and soap to chip in and help boost the initiative.
Joseph Kariuki, one of those who took the quiz, said he learnt a great deal about Covid-19. He said the lessons challenge people to keenly follow what is happening both in the country and elsewhere.
Peris Njoki, another resident, said the teacher’s approach gives them an opportunity to learn what they did not know as they compete to answer his questions.
“I think this system is working very well in educating the masses. At least those who will not get masks will leave the place better informed than they came,” she said.
Edited by R.Wamochie
