Provision Of Water And Basic Hygiene Items To Mukuru Residents.
Story by Peris saleh.
Jackline Mbangari is a mother of three kids, lives in Mukuru Kwa Reuben. She is one of the beneficiaries of the soap, water and dignity kit distribution through the E-voucher system under the Tuko Pamoja Project. Tuko Pamoja (We’re in this together): Project is a 12 Months project implemented jointly by Oxfam WASH and Gender Teams in Partnership with Local based Organisations in Mukuru and Korogocho informal settlements.
Jackline now depends on casual jobs of washing clothes which she does twice a month. The little money she gets is not enough to cater for foodstuffs and other household needs. Jackline lost her job when she was released from work for maternal leave. After completion, she decided to go back to work but the employer didn’t allow her back just telling her to wait. Now it’s one year and a half but still no feedback.
For 3 months, Jackline will be able to access 3 bar soap, 4 – 20 litres of water daily, and dignity kit containing 5 sanitary towels packets, 1 petroleum jelly, 4 tissues and 200g of washing powder monthly.
‘’Am grateful to OXFAM and MUYI for enabling me to be able to access water and dignity kit using the e-voucher system. Now I will be able to save up the little money I used to spend on buying water and soap putting it in other household needs.” She said.
“I used to fetch water, that is far from where I live because the water is free, though it is salty but I still use it for drinking, cooking and washing but now through the program am now able to access fresh water for drinking and cooking.” She mentioned.
Women and girls face a lot of challenges coming to their sexual reproduction health rights most of them not knowing their rights making them to be victims.
She went ahead and added “Indeed, the items especially the dignity kit will help me a lot. I have two girls and it’s difficult for me to provide for them things like sanitary towels considering the cost of one packet being sold at shillings 80 and on my case I need 3 of them, but now for the next 3 months they will be able to access them and they will be confident during their menses. “
“As for the system, it is a good way of ensuring that each targeted beneficiary gets their items with fairness and justice through receiving a unique voucher code.” she added.
‘’The vendors were well organised and served the community with the required number of items with per household. We hope that OXFAM will come up with another program so that we can benefit from it as beneficiaries from Mukuru Kwa Reuben.”
The Tuko Pamoja project objective is to drive positive behavior change to prevent and contain the spread of COVID- 19 and reduce deaths and to protect the lives and livelihoods of survivors of SGBV.