Girls back to school after lockdowns. Campaign with Sofonie Dala. Don't miss it! Webisode 19

Being a school student can sometimes be challenging, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made getting an education, and life in general, even more difficult for young people in Angola.

For this and other reasons we are carrying out this campaign to analyze the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the academic performance of students. 

Our today's guest is Antonia, she will share with us how COVID-19 has been affecting her life.

1. Introduction

Hello! My name is Antonia Pedro, I am studying in the 9th grade, I am 14 years old and I am Angolan.

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

Covid-19 significantly affected my plans, especially in academic aspects. The rapid increases of confirmed cases and the high number of deaths got me very depressed.

For example, the country was recording more than 200 positive cases per day and many deaths as a result of this, I started having anxiety and feeling depressed this event negatively affected my academic performance. Moreover, I wanted to take some professional courses, unfortunately I couldn't.

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

Thank God, schools have reopened and I went back to study. 

4. Has your school distributed any bio-security materials?

Unfortunately, my school did not distribute any bio-security material, we only have the school guard at the gate who measures our temperature before entering the classroom.

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

The measures that school created to avoid the spread of covid-19 are: to wash hands daily, use alcohol gel sanitizer, do not touch our colleagues or hug or kiss and we should stay at least 1 meter away from each other.

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

I am happy to go back to school but I am afraid that at school a positive case may appear.

Many universities, schools and colleges worldwide suspended classroom teaching due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The COVID-19 crisis created serious challenges to students ’well-being and development that require a response focusing on their social and emotional learning, health, and well-being.

Thus, we have been asking children and young people around the country how they are coping with the new normal, and how their lives have been affected.

Don't miss this opportunity to bring girls back to school. Join us!

Share your experiences learning / teaching during the school closures & the projects or initiatives you've launched to get girls back to school post # COVID19 in your local communities.

Visit my new channel to see all the activities https://she-leads.blogspot.com/

COVID-19: ANGOLAN GOVERNMENT DENIES RETURN TO STATE OF EMERGENCY

 Luanda - The Minister of State and Head of the Civil House, Adão de Almeida, Friday denied that the President of the Republic had asked Parliament to consider a Bill to decree a new State of Emergency in the country.

According to the minister, who was intervening on the Covid-19 situation, to react to false information posted on social networks with this content, this does not correspond to the truth.

"There is no intention of the Head of State to declare a state of emergency, in terms of immediate, nor was there any contact with the National Assembly for this purpose," the minister said.

According to Adão de Almeida, the country will continue under a Public Calamity Situation to face the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The Executive privileges true information and, therefore, we must inform that the information disseminated in social networks and in some foreign media is false", he reinforced.

It should be remembered that Angola experienced a period of State of Emergency (the first in its history) after the first two positive cases of Covid-19, between March and May, with three extensions.

The country has 12,223 cases, with 300 deaths, 5,626 recoveries and 6,257 active cases.

COVID-19: ANGOLA RECORDS 276 RECOVERIES, 121 NEW CASES

 Luanda - Angolan health authorities announced Friday the registration, in the last 24 hours, of 276 patients recovered from Covid-19, 121 new infections and one death.

According to the health minister, Silvia Lutucuta, who was speaking at the country's usual Covid-19 update session, of those recovered, 264 are from Luanda, nine from Cunene, two from Benguela and one from Malanje.

As for the new positive cases, she pointed out that they involve citizens aged between three and 94, 63 males and 48 females.

According to her, 65 cases were diagnosed in Luanda province, 27 in Benguela, 15 in Cabinda, eight in Cunene, three in Huambo and the same number in Uíge.

She said the death was of an Angolan citizen, 55 years old, and resident in Luanda.

Angola has 12,223 positive cases, 300 deaths, 5,626 recovered and 6,297 active people.

Of the active cases, 12 are in critical condition with invasive mechanical ventilation, 22 severe, 164 moderate, 306 with mild symptoms and 5,793 asymptomatic.

The health authorities follow 504 patients admitted to treatment centres in the country.

ANGOLA STARTS USING ANTIGEN TEST

 Luanda - The Multisectoral Commission for the Prevention and Combat against Covid-19 announced, last Thursday, in Luanda, the beginning of the use of rapid antigen testing, to accelerate the mass testing process and identify new cases in the country.

According to the Secretary of State for Public Health, Franco Mufinda, who  was speaking at the usual update session of Covid-19 data in Angola, the antigen test is also done with the use of the swab, but its result is obtained in just 15 minutes.

Some specialists/virologists also show that the antigen test, in certain situations, can be even better than RT-PCR (molecular biology test), among several reasons by identifying who has Covid-19 in just 15 minutes, reaching more than90% in the diagnosis.

Due to its effectiveness and speed in the diagnosis of Covid-19, the secretary of State advanced that, in addition to Luanda, the antigen test will also be sent to the remaining provinces, with a view to accelerating the screening process in communities.

He also recalled that, like the other tests used in Angola, citizens who Intend to do the antigen test, on their own initiative, will also have to pay the same amount paid in RT-PCR, estimated at 75,000 kwanzas, in public hospitals, and 170,000 kwanzas, in private clinics.

With the start of the use of the antigen test, Angola now has four methods/options to confirm and rule out possible cases of covid-19 in the country, namely, the molecular biology (RT-PCR), considering the standard, Serological and Elisa.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Innovation for Sustainable Development Awards 2021 for young Innovators (£45,000 in prize money)

Application Deadline: 31 January 2021

The Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Innovation for Sustainable Development Awards recognise and celebrate the contributions that innovators in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors are making in advancing the sustainable development goals in Commonwealth countries.

Requirement

Nominees can be individuals, groups or teams, organisations, companies, charities or government ministries / departments / agencies.
Nominees must be directly engaged in developing their innovations, either in a full-time, part-time or voluntary capacity.

Nominees must be Commonwealth citizens, governments or public sector organisations in Commonwealth countries, private enterprises based in Commonwealth countries or civil society / not-for-profit organisations based in Commonwealth countries.
Nominated innovations must be able to demonstrate impact or potential in achieving progress on one or more of the 17 SDGs in a Commonwealth country (or countries).

Nominees must be willing to take part in Commonwealth-supported activities and initiatives related to the Commonwealth Innovation for Sustainable Development Awards.

Benefits

Each award winner will receive a trophy, a certificate and prize money of £3,000. 
Award winners will receive ongoing support for their work and may also be invited to participate in high-level forums such as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Commonwealth Business Forum and Commonwealth Games.

Click Here to apply: https://bit.ly/2IbOT7k 

South Africa deports African migrants after protests

South African authorities say they have begun deporting 20 refugees and asylum seekers who were part of a months-long sit-in protest against xenophobia.

They are mostly from African countries and were demanding to be resettled outside South Africa.

Canada was some of the migrants’ preferred choice, said South Africa’s Home Affairs department in a statement.

Their sit-in began outside the offices of the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) in Cape Town in October 2019.

Hundreds of people took part in the protest campaign which lasted five months, and saw the migrants occupy a church where they were given refuge.

At the time the migrants said they did not feel safe because of xenophobic attacks in South Africa’s townships, and that they were treated poorly and discriminated against.

Since 2008, there have been numerous outbreaks of xenophobic violence targeting foreign nationals from the rest of the continent in townships across the country.

Migrants are often targeted in the communities where they live, accused of stealing jobs and resources.

A Burundian woman who the BBC spoke to earlier this year said she fled unrest in her home country years earlier for South Africa, a place where she thought she was safe, but was attacked and raped by a man who remained at large.

Despite requests made by the BBC, South African authorities have not disclosed the names nor the destination countries of the 20 people being deported.

In a statement, the Department of Home Affairs said it had followed “due process”, adding that “the affected foreign nationals have already been transferred to Lindela Repatriation Centre for deportation purposes”.

The BBC’s Nomsa Maseko in Johannesburg says more migrants are expected to be deported.

Covid-19: Angola

ANGOLA

Last updated: November 07, 2020, 09:03 GMT

Angola

Coronavirus Cases:

12,223

Deaths:

300

Recovered:

5,626