By Robert Manyara
Busia County, Kenya: Soroptimist International, a worldwide organization for women in professions and business with a network of 72,000 members in 121 countries has constructed five houses for flood victims in Budalangi.
Addressing beneficiaries drawn from Buyuku, Magombe, Mukhobola, Bukhwanga, and Sidukhumi villages in Bunyala Central ward recently, Soroptimist International charter President, Vihiga club Maximilla Luchacha said the key objective of the club is to educate, empower and transform the lives and status of needy women and girls beyond borders.
“It is precisely for that reason that we are here today to celebrate the successful construction, completion, and handing over five houses whose construction was funded by Soroptimist International Club of Vihiga to five families in Bunyala Central Ward Busia County, Kenya,” she said.
“It is with a lot of joy in our hearts to also donate a wheelchair valued at Ksh21,400 to Rosemary Aloo Onalo, a 28-year-old lady who had her legs amputated because of illness,” she added.
Picture by Robert Manyara
The club charter President said following the difficult time Kenyans went through including locust invasion, Covid- 19 pandemic, flooding in Budalangi and North Eastern Kenya, hunger, Soroptimist International Club of Vihiga could not sit back and watch helplessly.
” These brilliant, talented and caring women went into overdrive some using excellent communication skills, establish a rapport with radio stations, and aired their views of a world gone crazy. The message included mentoring and sensitizing whole families on how to protect themselves from the virus,” she said, adding that others went round villages distributing food baskets, sanitizers masks, and medicines among others,” said the club president.
She thanked Technology, a Club in Canada, and Soroptimist International Victoria that donated Ksh 137,000 towards the project.
She at the same time said through excellent public relations, the same team got in touch with the Gender and Social Services of Busia County, adding that the office recommended a young man from the community, Elias Obuyu Onalo who turned out to be an asset to the organization.
‘All the five houses cost Ksh 332,870 of which Ksh 14,000 was courtesy of Budalangi Community,” she said adding that although the structures are of basic nature they will go a long way in solving the housing needs of the few chosen members of the community.
Elias Obuyu Onalo, the organization’s contact person in Budalangi thanked Soroptimist International Club of Vihiga for supporting the flooding victims who could not manage to construct new houses for lack of funds occasioned by poverty.
” I am taking this opportunity to sincerely thank Soroptimist International Club of Vihiga for supporting these women who could not meet the cost of consulting new houses,’ said Obuyu who is also the Personality Assistant to Busia Deputy Governor Moses Mulomi.
The beneficiaries as well thanked the organization for coming to their support.
