Healthcare in Machakos County receive PPEs from MPESA Foundation

M-PESA Foundation has handed over personal protective equipment (PPEs) worth Kshs 1.5 million to health workers in Machakos County to support the fight against coronavirus.

The PPEs which will be distributed to various health facilities across the county include 2000 pieces of N95 masks, 3000 gowns and 500 eye protectors.

(TOP: From left: Machakos County Governor, Alfred Mutua as he tests PPEs donated by M-PESA Foundation beside Safaricom’s Senior Manager, Foundations Program, Henry Kilonzo. Beside him is Safaricom’s Area Sales Manager, Tennyson Kaaria and KMPDU Lower Eastern Branch Secretary, Dr Charles Okumu. This was during the handover of the PPEs at the governor’s office).

“Our health workers are critical in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. The disease is spreading fast across the country, which makes it important to ensure preparedness and protect health workers in all counties,” said Michael Joseph, Chairman, M-PESA Foundation.

Last week, the M-PESA Foundation partnered with the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) where the foundation pledged to provide personal protective equipment to over 3,000 health workers across 7 counties.

The 7 target counties that will receive the PPEs include Kwale, Machakos, Nairobi, Kilifi, Migori, Kiambu and Busia. The equipment will be provided at a cost of Kshs 20million.

“We are grateful for this support from the M-PESA Foundation. We believe that this will boost our county’s preparedness to protect our health workers as they work round the clock to save the lives of the COVID-19 patients,” said Dr Alfred Mutua, Governor, Machakos County.

In the last two months, Safaricom’s other Philanthropic arm, Safaricom Foundation, has donated PPEs to healthcare workers in Meru, Kajiado, Baringo, Uasin Gishu and Mombasa counties. In addition, residents of Kibera, Mathare, Kawangware and Korogocho have also benefited from Safaricom Foundation water funded projects while several Counties have also received handwashing soap.

In April, Safaricom donated Kshs 200 Million through the Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations towards providing Cash transfers for food to support vulnerable communities as well as thermal cameras worth Kshs 10 million to the Ministry of Health installed in various border entry points.

Safaricom has so far committed over Kshs 250 million in various philanthropic initiatives in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.