A resident of Kiambiu slum sits outside with a mask in Kiambiu, Kenya, April 24, 2020. (Xinhua/CHRISPINUS OMAR)
The idea of wearing a mask in public was alien to Kenyan slum dwellers but amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become essential for every individual to have a barrier around their mouth and nose.
NAIROBI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Bernard Silal pitches pebbles into a stream of contaminated water trickling past his mother's makeshift stall, oblivious of the pandemic that has rocked the world.
He has a maroon face mask snuggling around his mouth but exposing his nostrils.
Silal represents the many Kenyans who are struggling to come to terms with the alien concept of mask-wearing.
Silal's mother is overwhelmingly concerned about the risk her child faces by not staying at home. Nevertheless, he faces an even greater danger of starving if she resorts to closing her small food business.
Akinyi Awour resides in the densely populated Nairobi's Kiambiu slums, located on the eastern fringes of the Kenyan capital.
"I am worried about my son; he is three-years-old and cannot understand the importance of not touching his mask or avoiding his friends. I cannot care for him at home because I have to look for money to cater to our daily needs," said Awuor.
"I used to carry an extra mask for him but he lost it while playing and getting him several reusable masks is not economically viable. I have to repeatedly warn him against fidgeting with his ear loops that can contaminate the mask," she added.
The mother of one has to ensure that her son is within her visual reach so as to guarantee his safety.
Unlike in the well-established suburbs of Nairobi where children are hunkered down at home, children in the slums fill up the narrow paths.
The idea of wearing a mask in public is alien to this community and the country but with the COVID-19 affecting nations, it has become essential for every individual to have a barrier around their mouth and nose.
Initially, the government noted that masks were a preserve of healthcare workers but that seemed to have changed when it announced that persons found not wearing them in public were eligible to a jail term of six months or a fine of 2,000 shillings (about 20 U.S. dollars).
The government has assured Kenyans of a steady supply of masks that would retail at a cheap price after various local textile companies started to manufacture the critical protective gear.
The quality of the masks is standardized by the organization tasked with quality checks in the country.
Photo taken on April 24, 2020 shows a homemade solution of hand washing station in Kiambiu, Kenya. (Xinhua/CHRISPINUS OMAR)
"There are numerous organizations that are selling these mask from as low as 0.05 dollars and the beauty of these cloth masks is that they are reusable you can wash it before using again," said the Cabinet Secretary of Health, Mutahi Kagwe at a COVID-19 briefing.
He advised traders to properly handle masks so as to reduce the risk of contamination.
Another resident of Kiambiu slums struggling to adapt to his new reality is 34-year-old John Nasila, who makes a living from selling second-hand clothes.
"Observing social distance is nearly impossible because of the nature of my business but the mask has ensured that I protect those around me. It has become my saving grace," said Nasila.
"I have three homemade masks that I take to my place of work. My wife fashioned them from old T-shirts. I admit that sometimes I subconsciously pull down the mask so that rests on my neck, when this happens I set it aside and use the extra one," he added.
"This barrier has somewhat affected my communication due to my husky voice that becomes less audible with the piece of cloth, but removing the mask to speak would be counter-productive," Nasila told Xinhua.
To Nasila, the mask is a double-edged sword that can jeopardize his health as well as that of his family if mishandled. He has taken up to setting a hand washing station outside his stall to facilitate proper hand hygiene.
A fortnight ago, government spokesman Cyrus Oguna said that the state would distribute free masks to vulnerable Kenyans through grassroots authorities targeting the informal settlements.
Many people in slums are waiting. ■