I need food, medicine for my pregnant wife – Kenyan man marooned in China cries
By Ann Nyathira and Njange Maina
A Kenyan man studying in Wuhan China is living desolately without food following the outbreak of coronavirus.
Despite having an expectant wife and a kid daughter the man is marooned without food and medicine for the family.
The family is crying negligence by the state and now cries for help, desperately.
For the purpose of this story, we have named the man Joel, to shield him and the family from victimisation. Both Joel and his wife are students on scholarships but living as a family.
He narrates the disheartening state of rationed food supplies, fear, pregnant wife and a worried child.
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"I am a student in Wuhan currently in my final semester. I live with my wife who is also on a scholarship programme in a university in Wuhan(sic)," narrated Joel.
Since China declared coronavirus an emergency in Wuhan province, government lockdown left residents with limited basic necessities.
As Joel tells us, the lockdown affected mainly the foreigners as they did not manage to rush to stores to buy food and other basics.
When Joel went to buy food, he only found market rejects which he found better off than none.
More critically, Joel's wife is six months pregnant as he narrates to us;
"My wife five months pregnant, this coupled with raising our little girl who is in kindergarten gives me great concern for the safety and well-being of my family.
As you can probably imagine, the government lockdown and curfew has meant that getting access to the basic necessities of life is that much harder and I can’t risk taking my wife to the hospital for her periodic anti-natal checks for fear of exposure to the virus.
The Kenyan embassy cannot facilitate food drop offs either, which is understandable, but I feel these are exceptional circumstances and the least they can do for us, even at a cost, is deliver food.
When my request for a protective face mask was denied, I had no choice but to risk my life by going out to search for any open shop with stocks so that I can protect and provide for my family," narrates Joel.
In desperation, Joel cries for help.
