Raphael, a Hidden Hero, spearheads fight against COVID-19 in his community

Raphael washing his hands with a younger child in Kenya
Thursday, September 3, 2020

Raphael, 14, is determined to stop the spread of COVID-19 in his family and community in Kenya.

Since the first case was reported in the country, Raphael has been working tirelessly to ensure that his family and fellow children in the community are adhering to the measures put in place by the Ministry of Health to curb the spread of the virus.

Raphael tells his other youth in his community how they can stay safe, espcially when playing games such as soccer.
Raphael tells his other youth in his community how they can stay safe, espcially when playing games such as soccer.

 

“I heard of the coronavirus disease from my teacher before schools were closed due to COVID-19. Knowing that the virus was deadly made me worried,” says Raphael.

But with training from World Vision, through a local partner known as Chelwa, Raphael was able to get in-depth knowledge about the virus and how it can be prevented.

Ready for action

“I could not wait to share the message with my family and friends,” he recalls.

Raphael began by training all his siblings to wash their hands properly with clean water and soap. And, he has strategically placed a hand-washing facility at the entrance of their home for ease of access and use by his family and visitors.

Going the extra mile

Raphael’s mother, Margaret, describes his son as zealous. She says that the boy is always looking for ways to make a difference in people’s lives. In addition to his new role of helping curb the spread of COVID-19, Raphael is also an active advocate of children’s rights. He constantly checks on children and reports any cases of abuse to the authorities.  

Raphael with his mother in front of their home
Raphael with his mother, Margaret. She says she is proud of the difference her son is making in their communitry. 

 

“At first, I was skeptical about the existence of COVID-19,” explains Margaret.  “But, after listening to my son and hearing a lot about it from the radio, I was convinced that the disease is real. I am really proud of my son and the good job he is doing to spread the message in the community and help people.”

Raphael is among the many children empowered by World Vision who have taken it upon themselves to continue making a difference in their communities as they work together to protect fellow children from COVID-19 and abuse.

Learn more about the work that World Vision is doing to limit the spread of COVID-19 and support those impacted. 

COVID-19 Child Participation