• The families have been without food since March when hotels and resorts were closed due to Covid-19.
• Chamber of commerce branch chair appealed to the government to settle the families elsewhere as the dumpsite was hazardous.
More than 100 families living within the Malindi dumpsite area have received relief food donation from the Malindi progressive welfare association to cushion them against the COVID 19 Pandemic.
Friday was Christmas day for more than 100 families who scavenge for food at the Malindi dumpsite for survival.
Each of the families received five kilogrammes of unga, beans and other food items from Malindi Progressive Welfare Association.
In preCovid-19 times, they survived on the leftovers dumped at the site by hotels and other businesses.
Things changed for the worse after the coronavirus pandemic was declared in March and the hotels were closed. Many of the families have been without food.
Kilifi Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry branch chairman Majid Swaleh said they plan to support over 700 households and had started with those at the dumpsite since they were the hardest-hit by the coronavirus.
"Residents living here [dumpsite] depend on waste food from the hotels but since they [hotels] were closed four months ago, the families have been facing problems accessing food," Swaleh said.
The lobby is also pushing for the setting up of recycling plant at the dumpsite to create employment for the families and to conserve the environment.
Swaleh said the living conditions at the dumpsite are hazardous and appealed to the government to look for alternative land to settle the familes.
Malindi Municipality Board chairman Aliasgar Kassamjee said there are funds from the World Bank, which will to be used for recycling waste at the dumpsite.
- mwaniki fm
