More than 8,400 needy residents of Karachuonyo constituency have benefited from relief aids to cushion them from adverse impact of covid-19.
The pandemic led to reduced income of the residents by rendering them jobless besides collapse of their businesses.
The residents from 1,400 households benefited from the programme started by Nairobi businessman Jared Otieno.
The locals who included elderly persons, people with disabilities and other vulnerable people received the foodstuff and non food items donated through Jared Otieno Foundation.
The project was started after a number of the area residents complained of limited sources of income orchestrated by the pandemic.
The beneficiaries were given the foodstuff at various collection points across all seven wards in the constituency.
The foodstuffs included bags of wheat and maize flour, sugar, salt, cooking oil and rice.
Non foodstuff included bars of soap and face masks.
The foundation chairperson Ely Oyier, Co-coordinator Hezron Orata and Secretary Fredrick Sije led various teams to distribute the items in the constituency.
Speaking at Wagwe in North Karachuonyo ward on Sunday, Oyier said the coronavirus adverse impact was exacerbated by poor harvests in the last season.
This is after floods eroded the residents' agricultural produce.
“Floods wreaked serious havoc in this constituency by destroying homes and crops in farms. Many people lost their crops which they should have harvested,” Oyier said.
Orata argued that Covid-19 had left many young people with no income.
“We have also considered some youths who lost their sources of livelihood after the pandemic outbreak,” Orata said.
The residents led by Nancy Aluga and Gorge Onyango appealed to other leaders in Homa Bay to come together and assist residents who undergo economic hardship after the outbreak..
“It is true that coronavirus has made life unbearable for many of us. We thank Jared Otieno for his intervention,” Aluga said.
Onyango said many families were living in difficulties after the government introduced anti-Covid-19 restrictions.
“We appeal to other leaders to emulate Otieno by intervening with more relief aid,” Onyango said.
