**UPDATE: This figure continued to increase after this story was published and the final tally was $7,130.**
Without a doubt, Kenyans in the diaspora have yet again proven that Covid-19 can’t stop them from staying united, especially in their long history of humanitarian efforts in supporting one of their own when in need. Or as Kenyans like to put it, nothing can stop “reggae”!
In a Facebook group dubbed 254 Diaspora DJs Live on the mix, DJs have been using the newly established platform to entertain Kenyans, giving them a chance to celebrate good health amid the ongoing global health crisis that has since resulted in major lockdowns across the world.
With most entertainment joints closed, Kenyan DJs from all over the world have been taking turns on the vibrant platform in a meticulously organized fashion, to showcase their talents as virtual revelers cheer them on with interesting, and some extra funny comments that keep scrolling faster than the music’s beat rate itself. Fans also flood their favorite DJs with tips, giving them more zest and dynamism in staging exceptional performances.
On Sunday night, DJSunny Sistuki from Raleigh North Carolina took the stage at 10PM ET, and dedicated that night’s show to Gerriey Wainaina’s medical fund, saying that 100% of tips collected would go to support the fund.
Wainaina, a Seattle WA resident, has been fighting stage 5 renal kidney disease since 2018 and has been on the transplant list with no success yet. To survive, Wainaina has been undergoing peritoneal dialysis 4 times every day for the past two years.
DJSunny Sistuki on Monday morning announced that the performance collectively raised $6634 through CashApp, PayPal, and Venmo. The DJ, who’s always accompanied by a team of unrivaled dancers, is not only talented but also exhibited phenomenal transparency by posting screenshots of account balances from all the platforms where the money was sent through.
“I can’t thank everyone enough for tuning in last night and for all their donations. Big thanks to Idah Alisha and June Oburu. DJ Rang came through and did his thing. We all came together for Gerriey Wainaina and it was beautiful. We were able to raise $6634” Sunny said in a Facebook post.
Last week, DJ Kriss Darlin used the same platform to raise $2500 in the same fashion, to help people in Kibra amidst Covid-19 outbreak in Kenya. Kriss Darling said the funds will buy sanitizers and other protective supplies to help Kibra residents.
Wainaina continues to accept donations via GoFund me HERE