Covid-19: Africa Educates Her Campaign with Sofonie Dala

Africa Educates Her campaign is going live

Two months ago, Sofonie Dala started an awareness campaign by recording video interviews with young girls affected by coronavirus. 

It is now well documented that COVID -19 has affected over 133 million female learners across the continent and through the Africa Educates Her campaign, Sofonie Dala seeks to highlight the experiences of learners at primary, secondary and tertiary education levels during the COVID 19 related school lockdown and further give voice to what young Angolan girls, young women, youth and educators think should be done to promote, encourage and protect girls’ right to education especially during times of crisis.

This is a collection of stories via video from girls in primary, secondary and tertiary level who have been affected by the lockdowns.

Her name is Maria, she is from Angola and speaks Portuguese. 

Key questions answered are:

What is your name?

What is your age?

Country?

What level of education are you in?

How has COVID-19 affected you as a student?

What are the challenges you are facing or have faced in your pursuit to continue learning during the school lock-down?

And what do you think educators, government and development players can do to ensure every girl goes back to school after the lock-down?

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted education across the world and Angola has not been spared. By the 6th of April 2020, 53 African Union Member States had shut down all institutions of learning as a measure to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, affecting an estimated 250 million students across the continent.

Over 133 million of these students are girls and women, and more than 10 million of them risk not returning to school if we do not take action that guarantees their return once schools reopen. Evidence is pointing out that girls and women are suffering disproportionate effects of this pandemic as they bear the burden of care work, and are vulnerable to gender-based abuse.

Together, we can take action to ensure all girls across Africa get back to school. Let us increase our efforts to fight for girls’ right to education by advocating and lobbying to develop post COVID-19 strategic plans for reopening schools that take into account the needs of girls and young women.

Covid-19: Taxi drivers testing rescheduled for Monday

Luanda - The massive covid-19 testing for taxi drivers that was to take place Saturday (29) in Luanda has been rescheduled for Monday (31 August and 2 September), the Health authorities announced.

The information was released Thursday evening in Luanda by the secretary of State for Public Health, Franco Mufinda, during the daily covid-19 update briefing with journalists.

According to the official, the Health Ministry has undertaken to conduct rapid covid-19 testing for five thousand taxi drivers who are considered a risk segment of society, to determine the extent of exposure to the novel coronavirus in the country.

Mufinda who would not add details as to why the operation has postponed said the testing is only pending the Luanda Government to establish the venue.

The official also stated that the move is part of the massive testing that has been going on since July around the country, especially in Luanda as the epicentre of the disease, with a view to a clearer picture of the circulation of the virus among the taxi operators.

Angola has until now reported 2.415 positive cases of covid-19, 105 deaths, 975 recoveries and 1.335 active patients.

Covid-19: Angola reports 56 new infections, one death, 53 recoveries

 Fifty-six new positive cases of covid-19, one death and 53 recoveries have been reported in the last 24 hours in Angola, the secretary of State for Public Health, said Friday evening in Luanda.

Delivering the daily covid-19 update, Franco Mufinda said the infections include eastern Moxico province’s municipalities of Alto Zambeze (02) and Bundas (01), northern Bengo province’s municipality of Dande (01) and central Benguela province (02).

The dead, according to the official, is a 91-year old Angolan man.

Angola’s covid-19 statistics show 2,471 positive cases, 106 deaths, 1,028 recoveries and 1,337 active patients.

Chadwick Boseman: Black Panther star dies of cancer aged 43

US actor Chadwick Boseman, best known for playing Black Panther in the hit Marvel superhero franchise, has died of cancer aged 43.

He died at home in Los Angeles with his wife and family by his side, a statement posted on social media said.

Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago but had not made the information public.

The news has left fans and the film world stunned. Get Out director Jordan Peele, said it was "a crushing blow".

"A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much," his family said in the statement.

"From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and several more - all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T'Challa to life in Black Panther."

May his soul rest in peace. 

This loss has left all of us deeply saddened. Our hearts are saddened by this loss and our thoughts and prayers are with you. 

Justice for Caleb: Missing Nigerian feared thrown overboard from a yatch in Ukraine

 A 21-year-old Nigerian who recently graduated from University of Sumy is feared to have been thrown overboard during a yatch cruise on the black sea on August 20 in Odessa, Ukraine.

Caleb Obari was reportedly the only black on the yatch in the company of all Ukrainians including his older girlfriend Vera Topaleva and others. Conflicting reports by nine other passengers include a story of Obari going out for a swim on his own and never returning.

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OTHER LADIES ON THE BOAT

A social media post by Topaleva states that narrative but Daniel, a close friend of Caleb’s rebutted in a video posting that “that is a big lie because Caleb cannot swim so there is no way he would go out on his own to swim.”

Another lie that there was no drinking of alcohol on the boat appears to also be refuted by video found on Caleb’s phone that showed drinking.

Even that, no police report was known to have been made after the yatch returned to Odessa on the same day. According to Daniel in a chat with an unidentified blogger, “the detective who is working on this case right now never even received a case in the police database initially.”

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Police is tight-lipped about the incident and did not offer any information to Daniel when they called him in to retrieve Caleb’s belongings including his phone. The Nigerian community in Ukraine has launched a “Justive for Caleb campaign to keep the focus of the Ukrainian authorities on the missing friend. They have even gone on a peaceful demonstration on the case and gotten the Nigerian Ambassador to Ukraine involved.

Caleb’s mother Mrs Obari in an emotional video posting flatly rejected the notion that her son may be dead. “I strongly believe that you’re hiding him somewhere,” she said to Vera.

Africans are increasingly dying in Ukraine especially from their romantic association with Ukrainian women. Four months ago, a Congolese student was stabbed to death allegedly by his Ukrainian girlfriend after he posted video of her and another woman in a lesbian encounter on social media.

Africans in Ukraine complain that criminal activities against Africans have increased because the law enforcement authorities do not pursue the perpetrators and bring them to face the law.