Ten year old Thembinkosi Ndlovu carries home two loaves of bread in Bulawayo, about 400 km (249 miles) outside Harare, April 11,2007. Soaring inflation has become one of the hallmarks of a deep economic crisis in Zimbabwe, once one of Africa's most prosperous and stable nations. Inflation hit an annualized 1,729.9 percent in February, a record for the nation and the world's highest. Analysts had expected an even worse figure for March, which would have dealt another blow to President Robert Mugabe's government, which is under pressure to adopt political reforms to avert a mass uprising and financial meltdown in the nation. REUTERS/Emmanuel Chitate (Zimbabwe)

Some residents in the Senegalese capital Dakar are having bread delivered to their home during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, free of charge.

The “Jaayma Mburu” project loosely translated to mean “Sell me bread”, was launched by Senegal’s Ministry of Trade with local bakeries to spare people from queues and exposure to the coronavirus.

“This project allows us to avoid spreading the virus. We are trying to take as few risks as possible and we are encouraging people to stay home.

“We have a certain elite who have been used for many years to having bread, croissants and a lot of things delivered during Ramadan. Today, this product is accessible to everyone,” Bamba Lô, co-founder of Paps said of the project.

Since a lockdown was imposed due to the virus spread, some residents have been able to dial the numbers of four delivery companies and have their bread brought to them, without paying only for the price of the baguette, generally around 20 cents.

“With this virus, I don’t even dare to go to the market, let alone a bakery. Didn’t you see the rush? There’s too much hustle and bustle. That’s what I avoid. And I avoid it for the kids, too. That’s why I chose to work with this gentleman, who delivers me directly to my home,” one beneficiary said.

Free deliveries will end with Ramadan, but the profession is building up its own fleet of vehicles to enable the JaayMa Mburu project to continue during the fight against the pandemic.

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