Lake Region Economic Bloc has initiated a program to help fight the spread of Covid-19 in schools.
The initiative dubbed ‘adopt a school concept’ is targets to stop the spread and mitigate the negative effects of Covid-19 in schools through behavioral change advocacy.
LREB Covid-19 Advisory Committee chairman Khama Rogo said with the program they intend to fill the gap which lies in advocacy for behavioral change in schools.
He said the fight against the virus requires collective responsibility hence the need to incorporate professionals to adopt a school through sponsorships and donations.
Bloc member counties are Bomet, Bungoma, Busia, Homa Bay, Kakamega, Kericho, Kisii, Kisumu, Migori, Nandi, Nyamira, Siaya, Trans-Nzoia, and Vihiga with a population of 14 million.
There are 15,191 schools within the bloc. “The Covid-19 pandemic demands that every group or individual becomes part of the solution to prevent the spread of the virus,” he said.
The program will be launched officially in Migori county on Thursday. Education CS George Magoha, Bloc chairman Wycliffe Oparanya, and other governors will attend.
He spoke during a pre-launch at Manyatta primary school in Kisumu where they seven donated water tanks.
Kisumu Medical and Education Trust Director Monica Ogutu donated 1,000 masks and pledged additional 5,000 masks. The school has close to 3,000 pupils.
Rogo noted that the virus continues to spread at an alarming rate within the community and particularly in the rural counties.
“As such, the common Kenyan citizen including children need to be continuously sensitised on how to stay safe and stop the spread of the virus,” he said.
He said prevention is the ultimate strategy to prevent people from getting to hospital subsequently preventing the deaths.
Rogo noted the upsurge of infections following the resumption of economic activities. He said more is needed despite the already strategies laid in schools to enhance the process of prevention of the disease.
The chairman said the schools within the regional bloc bear the brunt of the pandemic and are in dire need of support to defeat Covid-19.
“Implementation of the ‘adopt’ a school concept is based on the principle of volunteerism and multiple partnerships,” he said.
Bloc CEO Abala Wanga said the program intends to help schools develop partnerships with health stakeholders.
He said most schools also have alumni groups that need to be mobilised and re-organized to take action towards preventing the further spread of coronavirus.
“The program is grounded in the belief that all partners can play a pivotal role in accelerating success in Covid-19 mitigation strategy and eventually stopping the spread of the coronavirus,” Wanga said.
He said alumni volunteering to sponsor donations to support students' needs will impact students’ lives and learning.
Wanga said LREB targets to tap into the human resource to mitigate the effects of Covid 19 in schools.
He said they will launch a new community and medical professional partnership to apply the unique skills and resources of the adopter to enhance health promotion and strengthen schools’ initiatives.
It will also re-align the existing partnerships with the schools’ alumni groups using the ‘adopt a school’ system.
Wanga said to adopt a school to care for is in line with preparation for the reopening of schools from January 4, 2021, through advocating for behavioral change in the Covid-19 fight.
