Kenya
Kenya has had a partial lockdown with travel restrictions to ban movement in and out of Nairobi, Mombasa, and two counties. Additionally, it has an overnight nationwide curfew, that has resulted in more than 400 arrests for violations.
Concerns and Challenges
COVID-19 affected the economy with an immediate effect in Kenya, especially small businesses. The imposed curfew has limited business hours affecting those that rely on their daily incomes.
As the pandemic has continued, the restrictions have put several women micro-entrepreneurs out of business and threatens countless others.
Adaptation Measures
The following is an excerpt from Cherehani Africa’s Newsletter sent on April 8, 2020.
Customers
We are leveraging our knowledge platform to support the government's effort to disseminate information on best practices during this period to all onboarded customers via SMS. The information shared is from the Ministry of Health and WHO.
We have introduced check-in phone calls to active customers in a bid to reassure them of our commitment during this difficult time and to assess other ways we could be of help.
We are restructuring loans for customers who are facing financial hardship due to the coronavirus.
We are financing customers in essential businesses like FMCG retail to enable them to deliver essential products and services to their communities.
We have suspended physical group meetings by our customers and are encouraging them to use face masks at all times when operating their businesses.
Employees
We have implemented a work from home policy for staff in our Nairobi office.
We are promoting regular hand washing and use of hand sanitizers. We have availed personal protective gear (face masks) for our field team.
We have reduced requirements to our relief fund to enable employees to promptly access emergency funds during this period.
We are supporting the prevention measures recommended by the government by ensuring our staff at the HQ work from home and that field staff are well trained on how to go about their duties (social distancing, washing hands and sanitizing).
Emergency Fund
Cherehani Africa received money from our Emergency Fund that will be used to buy face masks that will be distributed to women vegetable vendors in rural communities. The vegetable vendors are an important part of the rural communities as they each serve tens of community members daily. It is crucial that they acquire and use protective gear when serving customers to instill health, safety, and confidence.
