Kenya Red Cross  Society in partnership with the Media Council of Kenya and Khetia’s Supermaket held a 3 day humanitarian media sensitization forum with journalists based in Busia County.

The forum that attracted over 25 journalists both working for local and international media houses took the scribes of the border county through the fundamentals and basics of humanitarian work  and as well as basic first aid training.

The members of the fourth estate were also taught the ethos of exhibiting both professionalism and humanity during emergencies as well as preparedness for the same.

The journalists took part in a food distribution exercise in the flood prone Budalang’i Sub County as a culmination of the training where more than 70 households benefited.

KRCS West Kenya Regional Manager Hellen Cheruto indicated that  majority of the residents of Bunyala West and Bunyala South have been immensely affected by since December 2019.

“Today we are gathered here to offer a helping hand food packages, and we have distributed packages to 36 households in the Siginga location,” she said, adding that 34 more households from Sango Island will also benefit.

Cheruto added that KRCS has been working closely with the local administration, Kenya Red Cross volunteers, and Community Health Promoters to sensitize the community on El Nino rains and sound early warnings with a view to reducing the potential effects of the heavy rains that are likely to occur during the period.

With the Elnino rains around the corner the capacity building to the journalists has come in handy in terms of preparedness as the skills attained will be applied by the scribes while in the field.

Busia County CEC Member for Public Service Management Pamela Awori confrimed the county has made necessary arrangements through the Disaster Management Committee to cushion the locals from the negative effects of El Nino.

Bunyala Deputy County Commissioner  Dr. Paul Papa thanked the Red Cross for supporting the flood victims expressing expressed confidence that the Sub County leadership is prepared for the expected El Nino rains through a number of trainings conducted by various stakeholders.

The community members of both Siginga and Sango expressed their gratitude to the journalists and the partners for their kind gesture and further urged the government to come up with a long term soulution to the flood menace in Budalang’i.