Abstract
The chapter details how various categories of people have shown resilience in responding to the devastating effects of COVID-19. It focuses on Mwiki residents in Kenya. The chapter focuses on how various youths and women developed an entrepreneurial spirit to overcome economic challenges that arose because of the government curfew. The chapter narrates various case studies of how Nairobians are resilient when faced by a pandemic. The people's response to this catastrophe and the restrictive measures continue to draw curious interest. Whereas some gave in, many others continue to soldier on in creative ways to survive.
TopIntroduction
Perhaps of all the debilitating pandemics in recent times, Covid has been the most ravaging. The entire world seems to have been caught off guard. The Advanced, Developing and Least Developed nations of the world were all devastated as human systems came crashing to a halt; Education, Commerce, Industries, Health Systems, Entertainment or the laugh Industry, Music Industry, Places of Worship- literally all aspects which give human life a structure collapsed.
The containment measures announced by the government in March 2020, included a raft of measures such as curfews, locking off high risk counties (where infection rates were high), mandatory wearing of masks, sanitizing of hands, social distancing, restricted movements, banned public gatherings which resulted in closure of learning institutions, businesses, churches, eateries amongst many others. The people’s response to this catastrophe and the restrictive measures continues to draw curious interest. Whereas some gave in to the pressure of the pandemic, many others continue to soldier on in creative ways to survive. People looked for opportunities to make a living and still do so during this uncertain Covid pandemic period. Some two professionals who lost their jobs due to Covid restrictions had the following responses, and I will quote verbatim;
I have simply embraced the new normal and I have learnt to adjust my life to the uncertainty about basic needs. I ask questions like, Do I need to invest? Do I need to go to school? Do I need to build a house? I am living with uncertainty a day at a time…living basic life, waiting for an uncertain tomorrow
TopMain Focus Of The Chapter
The main focus will be the response of the youth to the Kenyan Government’s COVID-19 containment measures, the children and some key sectors of the economy that have some impact on the youth especially in the informal settlement of Nairobi in Mwiki, Kibera, Mathare in the outskirts of Nairobi City aswell as middle income estates in Nairobi such as Garden Estate, Thome VI, Roysambu and Kasarani. However, other parts of the country may be included to emphasise the responses. My discussion will cover the responses of the Government, the citizenry especially the largely youthful population and children using pictorial evidence. The effects of Covid-19, responses and roles played by other stakeholders such as the media and financial institutions will also be highlighted.
The mission of this chapter is to find out how various categories of people and some sectors of the economy have shown resilience in responding to the devastating effects of Covid 19 with special emphasis on the youth and children.
Key Terms in this Chapter
NGO: Non-governmental organisation.
PCR Certificate: Polymerase Chain Reaction Certificate. PCR is a test used to detect genetic material from a specific organism such as a virus. In this case the corona virus.
Informal Settlements: These are low income areas in the outskirts of Nairobi city and constitute about 70% of the population of Nairobi, they are ideally slums. Such areas include, Kibera (the largest slum in Africa), Mathare (perhaps the second largest slum), Kawangware, Mwiki, Landmawe, Marurui, Huruma, Dandora, parts of Umoja, etc.
Handwash: Part of the COVID hygiene containment measures involving washing hands with soap.
MPESA: A money transfer service offered by the giant telecommunications company Safaricom.
Online: Refers to digital communication or logging and accessing sites on the internet or any other digital platform.
Boda Boda: Term in East Africa used to refer to public service motorcycle riders.
WHO: World Health Organization.
CITAM: Christ is the Answer Ministries, a leading Pentecostal Church in Kenya.
GOK: The Government of Kenya.
Lockdown: A term used for actions related to mass quarantine or stay- at- home orders. It was declared the word of the year in 2020 by Collins Dictionary, after a sharp rise in its usage during the pandemic.
Social Distance: One of the covid protocols requiring keeping the distance of 1.5m from the nearest person.
Mental Health: Cognitive, behavioral, and emotional wellbeing. It is all about how people think, feel, and behave. This term is sometimes used to mean the absence of a mental disorder. Mental health can affect daily living, relationships, and physical health. During the onset of COVID, many people could not cope with the resultant effects leading to high stress and depression levels which led to mental disorders.
Safaricom: A giant Telecommunications Company based in Kenya with a huge regional and international presence.
Corona: Shortened form of coronavirus disease 2019.
VAT: Value added tax.
Managu: A traditional vegetable in Kenya.
COVID: According to the Oxford languages Dictionary 4 , Covid 19 or Corona Virus Disease is an acute respiratory illness in humans caused by a coronavirus, capable of producing severe symptoms and in some cases death, especially in older people and those with underlying conditions. It was originally identified in China in 2019 and became a pandemic in 2020. WHO defines it as an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus 5 .
Acceleration Doctrine: A term used by the Government of Kenya to refer to constantly increasing the speed of attaining the government’s goal of vaccinations targets. One way this would be achieved would be through single shot vaccines.
UN: United Nations, in the context UN-Habitat.
WB: World Bank.
Single Shot Vaccines: Vaccines against Corona administered only once with full effects in a single dose.
HR: Human resources manager.
Containment Measures: Measures taken or employed to reduce or contain the spread of Corona Virus this include the Covid Protocols such as wearing masks, sanitizing, social distancing, self-quarantine, vaccination.
UN 75: A global dialogue initiated by UN to provide a platform for youth to express their issues in this case in Mathare an informal settlement in the outskirts of Nairobi.
New Normal: Common phrase or terminology coined during the onset of COVID-19 symbolizing the deviation from normal or usual way of life to align to the COVID protocols.
Kunde: A traditional vegetable in Kenya.
Vijana Tustawi: Swahili for “Youth, lets thrive.”
Sanitize: Make clean and hygienic; disinfect.
Kienyeji: Swahili for traditional. In this context traditional foods or vegetables.
SMEs: Small and medium enterprises.
Kenyan Media: This is the means of mass of communication in Kenya which includes radio, television broadcasting, internet, telecommunication.
Protocols: Official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions.
Terere: Traditional vegetable in Kenya.
Mutura: A Kenyan delicacy, a semblance of sausage, minced meet rolled in animal intestines and roasted or grilled on a charcoal stove.
Pandemic: A disease prevalent over a whole country or world in this case corona virus.
Social Listening: Using unobtrusive observation for idea generation. This may include reading over comments on news and stories on corona on Facebook, WhatsApp groups for group fans, user comments.
Social media: Social media platforms in this context such as WhatsApp, Tik Tok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google Meet, Skype, Zoom, webinar, etc.
Mandazi: A Kenyan sconce like snack.
KNBS: Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
MOH: Ministry of Health in Kenya.