To overcome the shortage of personal protective equipment in Kenya, USADF youth entrepreneur Nasreen Ali of Afrikapu engaged artisans to produce washable masks and gloves for Afrikapu to deliver directly to local consumers. Now, as Kenya resumes in-class learning after a nine-month disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Nasreen and Afrikapu are once again at the forefront, ensuring that vulnerable children have access to facemasks for their return to school.
According to an East African Newspaper article, Kenya has 23,000 public primary schools with more than 12 million pupils and more than three million secondary school students. Kenya's Education Cabinet Secretary, Prof George Magoha, acknowledged that there is currently a shortage of over one million face masks for children from impoverished backgrounds. Furthermore, schools are mandated to have thermal guns, handwashing stations with running water, and stocks of masks to ensure safety.
During Afrikapu's visit to schools in Kajiado county, teachers cautioned that they are overcrowded, underfunded, and ill-prepared for the reopening in the face of the ongoing pandemic. Many students cannot attend classes due to fear of the pandemic and lack of face masks, especially children from families without the financial means to purchase the required safety gear. These communities continue to wear sub-standard face covers, including torn and dirty handkerchiefs in place of face masks.
With a sense of responsibility to sensitize the informal communities on various measures necessary to curb the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing masks, social distancing, handwashing/sanitizing, and isolating, Afrikapu partnered with local organizations to address the need. Through partnerships with non-government organizations such as Heads n' Hands, Sports Legal, Nasvick Initiative, and Billian Resource Centre, Afrikapu was introduced to several schools in remote areas.
To date, Afrikapu has donated over 3,000 masks to several remote schools and crowd-funded from partner organizations, allowing the organization to cover costs and compensate the artisans. Afrikapu is working closely with partner organizations in adapting to provide protective gear, generating income, and keeping vulnerable communities safe.
In 2019, USADF invested $25,000 in social enterprise Afrikapu to expand its business operations by developing new markets and systems to reach more female artisans in rural and peri-urban areas and informal settlements in Kenya.