Kibanda’s of The Industrial Area

Kenya recorded hundreds of COVID-19 cases daily, yet the industrial area in Mombasa was assumed to be immune. At the peak of the pandemic when more than half of the world was either: working remotely, on furlough or working with protective measures in place against the virus. The blue-collar workers at Mombasa’s industrial area believed that COVID-19 was a conspiracy theory or concluded that their immune systems were stronger than the virus.

This Kibanda is situated outside a burnt factory under a canopy made with scrap polythene, where industrial workers go for affordable meals. The Kibanda is cramped, with no sanitation and at a time of a global pandemic it was concerning to witness no social distancing, reflecting people’s disbelief of the virus. Moving towards a sustainable future we need to ensure people across our community are equally included. Humanity needs to surface and not an individual’s economic background when protecting and educating the people of this world. It is essential that governments unite and implement policies for inclusion and diversity as they would aid in reducing the adverse effects of a global pandemic.

Acknowledgements: Shabbir Saleem