Girls back to school after lockdowns. Campaign with Sofonie Dala. Webisode 11

The past two decades have been marked by outstanding gains in girls’ education worldwide, with the number of girls out of school dropping by 79 million. We cannot risk rolling back this progress. For some children, the impact of COVID-19 will be temporary. But for others, this pandemic will be devastating and will alter the course of their lives.

There is a need to intensify community mobilization and support for girls’ education, including for pregnant girls and those who were out of school before the COVID-19 crisis.

Our today's guest is Benita, she finally went back to school and wiil share with us her school observations.

1. Introduction 

Good afternoon! My name is Benita Paulo, I'm 11 years old, studying in the sixth grade and I'm Angolan.

2. How has covid - 19 affected your student life? 

The coronavirus pandemic surprised me, I lost contact with my colleagues and teachers, this situation made me sad. Despite everything, I studied at home.

3. Now that schools have reopened, have you gone back to school?

Thanks God, my school reopened and I went back to study.

4. Has your school distributed any biosecurity materials?

Unfortunately, my school did not distribute any biosecurity materials.

5. What are the prevention measures against covid - 19 you saw that the government/ school created to ensure your safety?

Wash hands with soap and water, disinfect hands with alcohol gel, make the use of masks constantly and measure body temperature with a thermometer.

6. How do you feel? Are you enjoying going to class or you are scared?

I am very happy, because Covid-19 didn't prejudice my health.

During Covid-19 lockdowns, schools were closed, and many girls were at home, making them more vulnerable to child marriage. Informal workers have lost their livelihoods and there is a higher chance of them marrying their underage daughters to reduce the number of mouths to feed.

We are inviting you to run ''Back-to-school campaigns'' that include targeted messages for communities and caregivers to actively engage them in supporting girls going back to school. Messages must be contextualized, culturally relevant, and effective at changing pervasive and harmful gender norms that hold girls back.

The France - South Africa Scholarship Programme 2020/2021 for young South Africans to study in France (Fully Funded)

Application Deadline: 20 January 2021 

The France - South Africa Scholarship Programme is directed to South African students who intend to study in universities or higher education institutions in France for their Master’s degree or PhD.

This call for application is open for students who intend to start their studies in France in September 2021. The deadline for online application will be on 20 January 2021. The list of the laureates and the waiting list will be announced in March. Due to the differences between the Southern and Northern hemisphere calendars, laureates will follow a specific track in South Africa from March to July 2021. This track will include online French courses organized by the network of the Alliances Françaises. It may also include an internship in French Companies based in South Africa, depending on the opportunities and the profile of each laureate.

Requirements

Under the age of 33 years old on 1st January 2021.
A South African National.
Enrolled in a French Higher Education institution (in due time) to pursue a Master’s degree or PhD.

Benefits

A full scholarship by the Embassy of France. It includes:

The status of scholarship-holder of the French Government which includes social security, priority for accessing student housing, visa fee exemption and assistance offered by Campus France Paris.

The payment of tuition fees, not exceeding 5000€ per year.
A return flight ticket to France.
A monthly allowance (approximately 700 euros for master students and 1060 euros for PhD students).
An additional individualized accommodation aid (approximately 150 euros/month) can be obtained from the French Government.

For PhD students, be aware that some doctoral schools require a higher monthly income than the scholarship allowance of (approximately) 1060 euros.

Click Here to apply: https://bit.ly/34EjO4B

Covid-19: Vendors disrespect sanitary measures

 Several market vendors in the Cangambo neighborhood, Malanje city, including street vendors, continue to carry out their activities during unauthorized days and outside the commercial area, in disobedience to the Presidential Decree on the State of Calamity.

The current decree, which came into force on October 24, determines Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for sale in the markets.

In a round carried out by Angop, in the aforementioned market, the largest in the province, it was noted numerous people, among sellers and buyers, neglecting the physical distancing, putting themselves at risk of contagion of Covid-19.

Some sellers, who spoke under anonymity, said that the fact that there are stores and warehouses of wholesale and retail goods, open in the peripheries of the market, has influenced this practice, since the sellers take advantage of the days when the informal markets are closed to raise awareness of the violation of the rules of prevention of the Covid-19.

 Yolanda Mote, spokesperson for the Provincial Commission for Response to Covid-19, calls on citizens to continue to prioritize biosecurity measures in order to avoid contagion of the disease.

President João Lourenço regrets arrest of journalists

 The President of the ruling MPLA party, João Lourenço, regretted this Thursday the arrests by the National Police of duly accredited journalists and in the full exercise of their functions, during Saturday's foiled protest.

JOÃO LOURENÇO, PRESIDENT OF aNGOLA

Covid-19: Angola reports 195 new infections, 43 recoveries

 Angolan health authorities announced Thursday the registration of 195 new cases, 43 patients recovered and no death.

According to the Secretary of State for Public Health, Franco Mufinda, who was speaking at the usual update session on the pandemic, 157 were reported in Luanda, 24 in Benguela, 13 in Cabinda and one in Huambo province.

The list of new cases includes 103 male and 85 female patients, aged between 1 and 75 years.

With regard to those who have recovered, these are patients whose ages are between 22 and 57 years, all living in Luanda.

Angola has a record of 10,269 cases, with 275 deaths, 3,736 recovered and 6,258 active people. Of the active people, 17 are in critical condition with invasive mechanical ventilation, 31 severe, 145 moderate, 416 with mild symptoms and 5,649 asymptomatic.

Sindika Dokolo, husband of Africa’s richest woman, Isabel Dos Santos dies in Dubai in a tragic accident while diving

Sindika Dokolo, the esteemed Art collector and husband of Africa’s richest woman, Isabel Dos Santos is dead, aged 48, according to a tweet by Africa Facts Zone.

The diamond man who died in a tragic accident was born in Kinshasa, in former Zaire, today the Democratic Republic of Congo. It held one of the main and most important collections of contemporary African art that had about three thousand works.The son of a Congolese father and a Danish mother, he spent his childhood between Belgium and France. His father, Augustin Dokolo Sanu, was a millionaire in love with African arts.

He studied at the Lycée Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague in Paris where he graduated at secondary level and later graduated in Economics, Commerce and Foreign Languages ​​at the Pierre and Marie Curie University.

Sindika Dokolo married in 2002 to businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, eldest daughter of José Eduardo dos Santos, president of Angola between 1979 and 2017.

The couple moved to Dubai in early 2020, following the opening of several investigations into Dokolo, along with his wife, for allegedly diverting properties from the Angolan government, which determined the preventive seizure of shares of Isabel dos Santos and Sindika Dokolo, in companies such as Unitel, BFA, Bic Angola and ZAP.

Isabel dos Santos posted a photo with Dokolo and her youngest son on Twitter, but without any caption. There are comments of grief in response to the tweet.

The millionaire died this Thursday in Dubai in a tragic accident while diving. The news of the death was advanced by Africa Insight. According to the same source, Dokolo was diving when he drowned. This is the press version of the Democratic Republic of Congo, however, Angolan sources indicated that the cause of death was an embolism.

Dokolo owned one of africa’s most contemporary art collections, which included more than 3,000 pieces of art.