By Ireen Kayira
As one way of raising awareness on Covid-19, one of the well known musicians in the early 2000, Ben Michael Mankhamba has taken an initiative to spread messages of prevention against Corona Virus in his home area, Chingalire in Nsalu, Lilongwe.
Speaking with Malawi News Agency (MANA), Mankhamba said he has a pick up vehicle and a Public Address (PA) system which he is using to go around and spread the message.
“I posted on Facebook for assistance of fuel and so far one person has assisted with the fuel for the vehicle and fuel for the generator for the equipment,” Mankhamba said.
He said it is an initiative that is not being supported by any institution but what he wants is support for money for the fuel to move around and so far he is working with the youth around the area who he trained to spread the messages.
Mankhamba who is also a Village headman in his village Chingalire said Covid 19 affects everyone whether in urban or rural area which is why he thought of spreading the message of preventive measures so that people can guard themselves as well as those who surround them.
He said the message that he is taking to the community is the same that is everywhere for example avoiding gatherings.
Mankhamba said another thing that they are stressing on is that people should wash their hands regularly because in the village people cannot afford sanitizers.
“This initiative is important more especially here being a rural area because so far people are not getting proper information, the only thing they are getting is bits and pieces of information which is not complete and clear,” Mankhamba said.
He further said people who are given enough information are the ones who can make proper decisions.
“If people are not being told properly on how Covid-19 is being spread it can be a disaster and more importantly everyone is supposed to work with his or her community to spread the messages,” he said.
He added that there is need for spreading these messages everywhere for example using posters and different means for people to access the information.
He therefore said the ministry of health should have taken this up to make sure that information is spread fast but as of now there is nothing even the mobile vans are not there to sensitize communities.
However he advised that currently the country could have slowed down on other things like politics and concentrate on the global problem.
Currently many institutions more especially shops have taken preventive measure for example they have put a bucket of water and soap so that people can wash their hands before entering the shops.
The state president professor Peter Mutharika on Friday appealed for more support from the stakeholders and development partners to fight the virus. He has since declared Malawi a state of national disaster on the virus.
