#MaskUp meets #Mask4AllMalawi (Mandatory Mask wearing gazetted as law)

 #MaskUp meets #Mask4AllMalawi 

By Harold Kapindu

Covid 19 harshtags have flooded both the international and local social media. The most outstanding, or rather the ones that have attracted my attention are #MaskUp and #Mask4AllMalawi.

With the surge in Covid 19 cases, the new campaign under the harshtag #MaskUp is picking up momentum on social media with local celebrities and public figures joining the cause in order to promote consistent and proper wearing of face masks in public spaces. 

Founded and spearheaded by musician Piksy and arts promoter, social behavior change and media expert Edward Kankhomba, the movement so far has a number of musicians, fashion designers, poets and television personalities. 

Some notable names seen in a large e-poster that is updated on daily basis include Daniel Thom also known as  Super DT, a TV host/presenter at Mibawa TV, musician Vube and Youth Health activist Blesssings Banda. 

To join the movement, one simply has to wear a mask, take a picture and post it on social media with the MaskUp harshtag. The team then collects the pictures which are updated daily on the campaign's e-poster.

Also, advocating for the same cause, its another campaign dubbed Masks4AllMalawi aiming at producing and distributing made in Malawi community masks to the total population of 19 million.

The campaign has so far manufactured millions of Made-in-Malawi community masks and has reached 

a production rate of greater than 420,000 per day. 

As part of the #Masks4AllMalawi campaign’s aim to achieve universal mask coverage, the campaign has also provided 31,500 community masks to the Malawi Prison Service, enough for all prisoners and guards.

An analysis of the potential impact of Universal Mask Usage as part of a comprehensive overall solution, reveals some potentially startling figures.

For instance, in Hong Kong, where Voluntary Universal Mask Usage (VUMU) appears to be in operation, there have been 15 reported cases per 100, 000 population and 4 deaths, despite being bordered by China and having a densely populated population of 7.5 million. 

This compares to 272 reported cases per 100, 000 population in the UK where VUMU is not enforced.

Corona virus is real and wearing of masks prevent transmission from person to person.

Log in on your social media platforms and type #MaskUp #Masks4AllMalawi #StayHome #StaySafe #WashHands #Sanitize #SocialDistance

The debate on re-opening schools amidst COVID-19

Henry Kachaje wrote

I know others feel we shouldn't open schools yet. Here are some questions to think about:

1) Since April, while the kids are not in school, how are they being protected? Have we locked them up in our houses? Is there strict social distancing being practiced in our communities? 

(Please, don't think about ana akumpanda ku Namiwawa, Nyambadwe, Area 10, 43, (well to do residential areas) think about ana aku Mbayani, Chilomoni, Mtandire, Nchesi, (low income and crowded areas). Are these kids practicing Social distancing in these locations?

2) If we have not locked them up while they are not in school, how have they survived this far? What is it that they are doing that is keeping them safe?

3) What protective measures can we employ in the schools? 

To be honest, very little can effectively be done especially in crowded government schools. But we can continue with regular washing of hands, etc.

Let us move on with life. Let's open schools. We are creating far worse challenges by keeping schools closed indefinitely. 

Ma vaccine anayimatu, teenage pregnancies are on the rise, early child marriages, alcohol abuse, HIV aids spread... Unfortunately, we are not tracking these challenges but just focusing on the new disease,  Covid-19.

Then there are complex socioeconomic issues: Teachers starving, failing to pay rentals, private school owners failing to pay teachers, failing to service bank loans, businesses that service the education sector collapsying, etc.

Covid-19 is a complex problem but let us learn how to live with the virus. It has come to stay unfortunately, and life must go on.

Ndakatulo (Ndichani?)

 

Poem (What is this?)

 

A covid-19 pandemic "coincides?" with a teen pregnancy-demic.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases since schools closed stands at 3 665 as of Sunday (at 26.7.20) and in two districts alone (Mulanje and Mangochi) there are nearly 15, 000 teenage pregnancies that have been accounted for in the last few months. In Mangochi alone, at least 40 young girls are falling pregnant every day. 

Primary school learners under Senior Chief Dambe in Mchinji have petitioned traditional leaders demanding immediate action following rising cases of child marriages and teenage pregnancies in the area.

Through the petition presented to Senior Chief Dambe, the learners among other things are demanding quick review of by-laws and formulation of a special task force to deal with issues of child marriages and teenage pregnancies.

Meanwhile, the latest survey conducted early last month by education authorities in 13 primary school zones in the district revealed that about 80 girls became pregnant, while about 130 young boys and girls entered into marriage since the closure of schools in March this year due to Covid-19.

COVID-19 Prevention measures should seriously consider protecting the youth, Let's protect our young ones before they  become a demographic burden. They are a majority by the way.