The novel coronavirus outbreak has gripped nations across the world. Significant decisions are taken by the health and government authorities, globally. Countries affected by the spread have limit movements, with a few undergoing through a complete lockdown in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. This has impacted people and their source of income. Those who are usually depended on daily income, have no alternatives at the moment. Peninah Bahati Kitsao and her family is one of those, who do not have any alternative income during the pandemic. Kitsao who lives in Mombasa, a city in Kenya, was reportedly filmed cooking stones for her eight starving children to make them believe she was preparing meal for them. The widow’s plight during the coronavirus pandemic is heartbreaking. Coronavirus Curfew in Kenya: 13-Year-Old Boy in Nairobi Slum 'Shot Dead by Police' For Playing in Balcony.

According to BBC, Kitsao, used to wash laundry locally. Her husband was killed by a gang. Because of the pandemic, people have restricted their interactions, which has impacted her work. Her neighbour, Prisca Momanyi, alerted the media about her predicament. NTV Kenya interviewed Kitsao. The mother of eight children, lives in a two-bedroom house without running water or electricity. She told NTV that her hungry children were not deceived for too long by her stone-cooking tactics. Kitsao added that her kids knew she was lying, but she could not do anything about it. Her neighbour visited her, hearing the children crying.

After her plight reached to Kenyans, Kitsao received money via mobile phone through a bank account that was opened for her by Momanyi. Kitsao does not know how to read and write. “I didn't believe that Kenyans can be so loving after I received phone calls from all over the country asking how they might be of help,” she was quoted saying in the Tuko news website.

The government of Kenya has launched a feeding programme, as part of measures to contain the virus. But it had not yet reached Kitsao. The county authorities and Kenya Red Cross also came up to help Kitsao. BBC further noted that more households in that neighbourhood will now benefit from the relief food scheme. As per the latest data, Kenya so far has 411 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 21 deaths.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 02, 2020 12:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).