Safe Hands Kenya

Hundreds of people in cities across the continent are living in very close proximity with limited access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, healthcare services or social welfare. Extreme social distancing measures being implemented around the globe are very difficult to implement within the African context, without causing major food and income insecurity, so the impact of COVID-19 could be devastating. The immediate provision of the tools for rapid mass sanitation, along with the motivation and behaviour change education to adopt and use them regularly, is the most effective way to keep people safe and society functioning, and will also deliver longer-term public health benefits. Safe Hands Kenya, a mission-driven coalition of Kenyan companies, has mobilised to rapidly manufacture and distribute hand sanitiser, soap, surface disinfectants and face masks to all Kenyans – for free. We have simultaneously launched a massive consumer education campaign to drive behaviour change around adoption and maximise public health benefits. All members have pledged to uphold three key principles: (1) zero margin: this is for impact, not profit; (2) speed is critical: every day counts; and (3) last-mile saturation: we leave no-one behind. We have brought together tech firms, input suppliers, manufacturers, distribution specialists and behaviour change experts to create an IoT-enabled supply chain that enables real-time planning of complex logistics to ensure the products and education reach every Kenyan.