When the pandemic arrives in a poor, densely populated region, two essential things are usually missing: clean water for washing hands and basic hygiene information. Support our hand-washing- and information-stations!Mitume, in northwestern Kenya, with its approx.15.000 inhabitants, from whose center the self-help project OTEPIC emerged 12 years ago, is such a place. A large proportion of the residents live in the slum or near the poverty line, often malnourished and without access to clean water and schooling. Here, as in the whole of Kenya, the complete shutdown of all public life has been declared. And of course, Mitume residents are particularly hard hit.

Philip Munyasia and his companions from OTEPIC are, as so often, the first ones to help. With fresh water from the deep wells of OTEPIC, provisional hand washing stations have been set up so that the simplest and most important hygiene rule can be observed. This will be expanded.

In order to counter rumors and fake news, it is just as important to spread the essential hygiene information. With posters and leaflets with text and infographics and an accompanying person at the tents, we especially want to inform people who for example, cannot read. Hopefully word of mouth will then carry the proper information further.