The coronavirus has no limits and touches all of us in one way or another. Our Women Like Us Center in Nakuru initially had to shut down. Our poultry project came to a halt as the government of Kenya halted all animal businesses during this time of covid-19. The chickens also fell ill and the incubator that so many of our donors helped fund, had to be put on hold.
Another person that has been hit by the effects of the virus is Chef Tobaia Orwa. He works at the Savora Lion Hill Lake Nakuru National Park . This is also where, in safer times, The Women Like Us group stays each year on our humanitarian travel in June.
Unfortunately, Chef Orwa was sent home because there is little to no tourism at the hotel. However, every third week of the month, he has been gracious enough to offer free cooking classes to the 100 women at the Women Like Us Centre. Thank you Chef Orwa.
The women at the centre learn how to cook some delicious treats such as mandazi (a type of tried donut), cakes, kabobs, and bhajia (fried crispy potatoes).
The women then take these treats to their communities and sell them. They are sold for between 10 to 20 Kenyan Shillings, which equals to about 9 to 18 cents.
With the money that the women earn from selling these tasty treats, they are able to contribute to sustaining themselves and their children. We are so appreciative that the women have the opportunity to learn something new and at the same time earn money – a small silver lining to the devastation of the coronavirus.
The following pictures show what a typical cooking class looks like.
