News just in from the Executive Director of the Kabubbu Development Project (KDP) tells of a harrowing loss for some of the community’s small businesses. Praise God that no lives have been lost!
“Last night [5 August 2021] between 1.00am and 2.00am, stalls along the road to the project in Kabubbu Trading Centre caught fire. They were all razed to the ground and people lost hundreds of thousands worth of their merchandise. The fire was started from remains of burning charcoal, which was left on a stove after a lady had been arrested by the police for violating the curfew rules set by the President before she could extinguish the charcoal.
Six women and some youths were affected by this incident. People mobilized themselves and put the fire out, the near by electricity pole had started to burn. If this had not been stopped early enough, there was a possibility of the fire gutting the nearest buildings to the stalls. This would have been a catastrophe.
By the time the fire brigade vehicle came, after two hours, the community had been able to stop the fire.
Most of these women and youths had just secured loans to operate these businesses and now they are all gone. Some of the women are part of those trained by KDP under the Street Business School. They are now heartbroken and in tears. Teacher Baraka, who lost her job at the beginning of this year, is one of those affected. She had started a charcoal stall to earn a living.
However, we thank God that no one lost life in this incident and the fire had been stopped before it could spread to the permanent buildings most of which are painted with oil paint.”
