Rotary District 9212 and Norvatis, in partnership with the Kenya Prisons Service, have announced a collaboration that will see a total of 189 hand-washing stations distributed to all the 129 prisons in the country, in an effort to meet the growing need among prisoners. The donation will also benefit 10 regional offices and the Prisons recruitment centre at Ruiru, on the northern outskirts of Nairobi. The 189 hand wash stations were equipped with 189 500 ml bottles of liquid soap and 69 five-litre jerry cans allocated to the 57 prison quarantine centres. The liquid soap is from the Rotary District Grant. In addition, the National Business Compact Committee donated 170 boxes of long bar soap to benefit prisoners in high risk areas in Nairobi and Coast regions. The initiative was coordinated by the Rotary Club of Nairobi Magharibi.
Speaking during the handing over ceremony at the Kenya Prisons Service headquarters in Nairobi, Dr. Joe Kamau, the chairman of the Rotary District 9212 Emergency Response Team, said: “We are grateful to Norvatis for their timely support that has made this donation possible. It is extremely important that we step up measures to prevent the spread of Covid–19 among vulnerable communities, including our prisons.”
The donations come at a time when Covid-19 numbers have continued to rise across the county. The Rotary District 9212 Emergency Response Team continues to strengthen partnerships to enhance its Covid-19 response among the most vulnerable communities in Kenya. To date, Rotary has reached over 4 million people with handwashes in 25 counties. Over 60,000 people in Covid-19 hotspots have been fed. Frontline medical workers have been provided with PPEs and a show of solidarity through flowers of hope in most level-five hospitals. The Rotary intervention continues to give priority to the most vulnerable communities.
