Two people claiming to be representatives of saloon workers in Kampala have opened up a store along Mawanda road in Kamwokya, a suburb of Kampala, to collect food assistance from well-wishers for distribution to members.
Nabusubi Tahiya and Abdu Karim Muchunguzi, calling themselves coordinators of the group of up to 500 saloon workers, say their members and their families face the threat of starvation unless someone comes to their rescue by donating food.
The saloon workers’plea comes at a time when the country is facing a prolonged lock-down period of two more weeks until May 19, 2020, as was announced by President Yoweri Museveni yesterday May 4.
The stay-at-home measures that include a ban on the movement of public transport (since March 25) and on private cars (since March 30) were introduced as a measure to stop the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic that originated in China in December 2019. The virus-derived COVID-19 disease has since killed nearly 70,000 people worldwide and led to the closure of businesses in most parts of the world.
They say their members used to feed their families from the daily earnings they made from their small businesses that have now remained closed for close to two months since the lock-down was announced.
“We saloon workers, including stylists, pedicure, manicure, therapists, massage, barbers, hair-dressers in Kampala, are starving, we therefore call for any help,” said Nabusubi.
The group says that most of them came from villages to work in Kampala but cannot return to the to the villages since public transport was suspended.
The team has now opened a food store along Mawanda Road near police station to collect any kind of support from good samaritans for the cause.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: The Sunrise could not however verify the genuineness of the group or their true motives.
The members have shared their telephone contacts as 0781732552/0703133214 and whoever wishes to deal with them, is advised to be cautious before helping.
