Standing in gap for vulnerable children

Dear Editor,

WITH the outbreak of Covid-19, we at Teacher Response Against Child Abuse TRACA, like everyone else are concerned and challenged by the outbreak especially the devastating health and socio-economic repercussions it is likely to inflict on our vulnerable communities - children inclusive.

It is our primary interest and responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of vulnerable children and their families are considered and protected jealously.

It is these groups of people who will adversely be affected by the pandemic since they may not even afford a tablet of soap to protect themselves from the pandemic. They will not observe sanitation, social distancing, etc, due to the situation they are engulfed in - lack of food and other resources.

They might be forced to risk their lives to go out and scavenge for food, soap and other necessities.

As child protectors we have seen the need to stand in the gap for children and families in our communities hence coming up with a 10-member Covid-19 Community Task Force Committee (C19-CTC) that will spearhead and ensure the plight of vulnerable children and families is not ignored but addressed.

This initiative will coordinate robust measures of safeguarding the health, socio and economic wellbeing of vulnerable children in the face of Covid-19. Despite all of us being potential victims, we still stand as a potential solution to the pandemic.

In this light therefore, strategies will include assisting vulnerable children and their disadvantaged families with sanitary accessories in the interim and food packs especially in an event the pandemic takes us into a lockdown. We need to act NOW!

Partnerships with government, the church, law makers (MPs) at constituency level, civic and community leaders, the business sector etc, is being pursued.

The C19-CTC intends to intensify mobile community sensitisations and awareness campaigns using Public Address Systems, fliers, brochures, leaflets, etc.

With positive energy, collaboration and support of partners, more vulnerable families and children will be reached and hence benefit from the much needed support. Infection and spread of this novel pandemic will thus be minimised.

Dear Editor,

QUARANTINE provinces to confine Covid-19 or the spread will reach levels that will force the nation to go on a lockdown making the UPND president Hakainde Hichilema a hero for nothing.

A national lockdown should never be a remedy or option to fight Covid-19, if anything it should never come near our thoughts here in Zambia because our economy has no financial muscle to support demands that come with a lockdown.

A national lockdown is a serious threat to our country’s peace, stability and security because if not properly managed it can be the recipe for civil disobedience.

Mr. Hichilema has been consistent with his calls for a national lockdown knowing too well that once civil disobedience erupts it will give him political leverage though few people can see beyond his callings.

It’s shocking to see that lately because of our casual approach in handling certain issues we have found ourselves falling prey to opposition tactics on several situations that could have been avoided.

My humble submission to the Minister of Health, Dr. Chitalu Chilufya, above all President Edgar Lungu is to urgently consider quarantining provinces, restricting movements from one province to the other, only essential movements to be allowed to confine Covid-19 so it does not spread to other provinces with less or no cases at all.

It is a known fact that there is no vaccine or medication to cure Covid-19 hence the need not to treat this pandemic with kid- gloves.

We ought to understand that in the next one or two months we shall be approaching the cold season with temperatures dropping which will surely create an atmosphere that favours maximum mutation of the said Coronavirus as observed with the current situation in European countries where it has mercilessly claimed a lot of lives due to cold temperatures.

Lusaka Province has been identified as the epicentre for Covid-19 cases and telling people in a casual way to minimise going and coming into Lusaka Province is not enough because that will not stop its spread.

Tough times mostly when they threaten people’s lives require harsh, tough and radical decisions that may not be easily appreciated by many but will protect their lives.