Shining Hope for Communities has been ranked as the top known organization that has provided assistance to the needy since Covid-19 hit Kenya.
In the survey results released by TIFA over the weekend, Shofco had 45 per cent followed by Red Cross (16%) and other Non-Governmental Organisations (5%).
Shofco has screened 1,8m people for virus symptoms, operated 348 handwashing stations across 17 slums that have been used and delivered 6,715,850 litres of free water in Kibera.
According to the founder Kennedy Odede, slum residents bear the biggest risk during this unprecedented pandemic, as they lack the necessary infrastructure and access to basic services.
“The pandemic has shown the importance of community-led response to crisis. When the community takes ownership, it becomes possible to do rapid distribution of supplies and information that keep slum residents safe during this pandemic," he said.
Odede said they are working closely with the United Nations, UN-Habitat, OCHA, Amref, and the Government National Covid-19 community task force to ensure that they reach all informal settlements in Kenya.
He noted that his organisation has enrolled 351,054 contacts in their SMS platform and analyzed 7,643 household-level survey responses.
Shofco's community-based approach has delivered critical help for slum residents, and created distribution channels for government, corporate, and NGO partners to support in Kibera, Mathare, Mukuru kwa Njenga, Kawangware, Korogocho, Nyalenda, Obunga, Maweni, Bangladesh, Mishomoroni, Likoni, Kamkunji, Manyatta, and Soweto slums.
