A Story of resilience and hope during Covid-19

Story by Maryanne Wanjiru; KYCTV Huruma

Originally posted on kyctvke.wordpress.com

The pandemic has greatly affected each and every one of us. The world has had to adjust to new ways of living. Social distancing, religiously wearing masks, washing hands or the use of sanitizers. As simple as these things may seem to do, it has been hard for most people to get used to them. The practices had to become part of our daily routine.

The pandemic has affected both the social and economic aspects of our lives. The youth in marginalized communities and informal settlements have been most affected. Amazingly, the resilience and triumphs that have come along during this trying times are impeccable. The youth in particular have proved that all is possible during this trying times.

I caught up with a young man from Mathare and he shared his experience on how he is coping with the pandemic. His is an inspiring story. His resilience and being able to stay positive in these times is amazing despite the many setbacks in his life that came as a result of the pandemic.

Patrick Mwangi Muchina is twenty-nine years old. He is a family man, an entrepreneur and a community volunteer. Before the pandemic, Patrick was a young man making ends meet for his young family by selling fruits at a small fruit stand in the area he lives. He was the sole provider. His fruit business was booming but as soon as the pandemic hit, his business crumbled down almost instantly. Mainly due to the 7pm curfew, he worked for lesser hours than he was used to. Ultimately the cessation of movement between counties disrupted the access to commodities and prices were rapidly hiked. His profits started decreasing daily and after one month he had to shut down and start looking for other sources of income.

Now back at home with nothing to do, Patrick resulted to hunting for menial jobs which were scarce at the time as many people had been laid off work or had shut down their businesses. With two children below the age of two, his partner was a stay at home mother and could not assist with the bills. But Patrick was determined to ensure his family was taken care of. His first result was to move to a smaller house that he could comfortably pay with the meager earnings he was now getting. He then cut down on his daily expenditures. Sometimes he and his family would survive on one meal a day and occasionally go to bed hungry on days when he couldn’t get casual labor.

Some of his peers had turned to crime as a means of living after losing employment. As for, Patrick he knew this was not the option. It was at this time that he started advocating for a crime free society by counselling his peers who were involved in criminal activities. They joined hands to form a table banking youth group where they support each other. This has ensured most of them do not involve themselves in criminal activities and instead are able to place food on their table. They are also able to save money and handout business loans amongst the group members. Through this initiative Patrick has eventually managed to revive his business. It has also won him the respect of his peers. Though not where he had hoped to be at this time of the year, Patrick is proud of what he has been able to achieve. He found a way to cope with the pandemic whilst making a great impact in the lives of those around him and the community at large.

The Corona virus affected many and none was prepared for the aftermath. Patrick believes the pandemic revealed exquisite traits he never thought he possessed. Its Patrick and others like him who have shown resilience and the will to start over that have given hope to our communities. In Patrick’s wise words, “The only way is forward”.