County comes to aid of needy teachers with Sh7M relief package

Private primary and secondary school teachers and support staff received goodies from the county government cat the weekend.

Nakuru Deputy Governor Eric Korir yesterday donated shopping vouchers worth more than Sh1.3 million and a package of food and non-food items to the teaching and non-teaching staff. "Each beneficiary will get a Sh2,000 voucher. This, we hope, will help them cope with life during this coronavirus pandemic," said Korir.

The county has put aside more than Sh7 million for teachers since the sector has been hit hard, with thousands of teachers facing hunger. “We target to distribute more foodstuffs by next week to needy teachers in public and private schools, who have already registered,” Korir said.

Cosmas Openda, a teacher, said life has been hard since March when all learning institutions were closed to contain the spread of Covid-19 virus.

"It has been tough for us. We haven't been paid for nearly four months now and teaching was the sole source of income for most of us. We are grateful for this gesture by the county government," said Openda.

Korir challenged schools, which had one year supply of foodstuff in their stores, to distribute it to needy teachers instead of letting it go bad in warehouses.

“Please distribute the food to teachers. Let it not rot in stores,” he said. The have been calls to the State to offer bail to private schools.