Thousands of African youth left the just concluded YouthConnekt Africa 2022 Summit (YCAS) in Kigali, Rwanda with their heads held high, after three-days of discussions and assurances from world leaders and experts on how they can lead Africa’s development efforts. The summit brought together over 10,000 youth delegates representing 98 countries from across Africa and beyond.
“Don’t believe the story that you’re the leaders of tomorrow. Be the leaders of today.”
The digital entrepreneur Sofonie Dala also had the privilege of attending the summit during these 3 fantastic days. She was eager to harness continental opportunities and actively contribute to Africa’s socio-economic transformation.
A little piece of the event
“Young people don't have access to funding they need to run their business. Sometimes for those young people their dreams remain a hobby. Africa’s prosperity needs supercharging with youth as an engine for growth.”
The President of the Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame opened the largest at BK Arena gathering thousands of young Africans and delegates from other continents and was joined by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of Kenya for an interaction with over 9,000 youth from across the continent.
About YouthConnekt Africa
YouthConnekt Africa is a continental initiative with the mission to empower young people by enhancing their knowledge, experiences and skills while investing in their ideas, innovations and initiatives to harness Africa’s demographic dividend which aims at contributing to the achievement of Africa’s SDGs mandate, the AU 2063 agenda, and AU Youth Charter.
It was initiated in 2012 by the Government of Rwanda in partnership with the UNDP and is a multifaceted youth empowerment model focused on leveraging youth employability, entrepreneurship and civic engagement through innovation.
In the next few days, we will be posting more content about the 3 days of the summit.
Stay tuned on our platform, don't miss out!
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and presents an unprecedented challenge to education, public health, food systems and the world of work.
Our today's special guest is Domingas D'Carvalho, she is a teacher and at the same time a student. Today she will share with us how covid-19 has affected her social life.
Greetings!
My name is Domingas, I'm here to talk about how the coronavirus pandemic affected me!
Honestly, covid - 19 has affected me negatively. In the field of studies, I always used to go to school but we had to stop studying suddenly.
In the social context, I used to catch taxi at the bust stop easily, but now it's difficult because taxi drivers take small numbers of passengers, the bus stops are crowded with people without keeping any social distancing and also the transport stops circulating very early, before the pandemic they circulated until midnight.
In addition, not all taxi drivers comply with biosecurity rules, collectors do not use masks, drivers do not use masks and many of them do not use it correctly.
In the work context, I am a collaborator teacher and covid-19 affected me a lot in this area. In this time of the pandemic I am not receiving any income, because students in primary education will not return to school this year and I am a primary school teacher.
Therefore, until today, students from the fifth grade to preschool children have not returned to school and we, the teachers are out of wages.
After sharing with us the challenges she faces during the pandemic, Domingas decided to read a beautiful poem for us.
In the middle of this pandemic, everything was isolated
Although it was the joy
But fear prevailed
In these pandemic times
Hugs are a danger
It is better to prevent ourselves
Than hurt our friends
The coronavirus has shaken
Our whole society
Very fast spread
And reached all ages
The economic and social disruption caused by the pandemic is devastating: tens of millions of people are at risk of falling into extreme poverty, while the number of undernourished people, currently estimated at nearly 690 million, could increase by up to 132 million by the end of the year.
Our today's guest is teacher Inacio. He will share with us his experiences during covid-19 pandemic.
Interview with teacher Inacio
Hello! I am professor Inacio Dala. I am a primary school teacher in Angola.
The corona came to end the dream of many Angolans. Corona is a disease that came to prevent any citizen here, and I'm sad because I lost my job.
Since April to the current month, I am not working because the grade I teach is stopped, no one is studying, that is, students from the 5th grade downwards are not studying. Schools are only entitled to assist students from 6th grade upwards. This should not be like this, and it is very sad indeed.
We are ready to teach and guide our students but unfortunately things are not happening as they should. I have been visiting the school constantly on the scheduled days, and each time I find normal conditions that have been very valuable to students. For example, we have buckets of water to wash our hands, we have sanitizer products, we also have a thermometer to check students' temperature.
Did the school distribute any biosafety material to students?
No, in order for school to distribute, firstly the government had to supply the school with these equipment. We received nothing from the government. Our school is state owned. Meaning the school's safety level is low, it is weak.
Can you tell us what are the Covid-19 prevention measures that school has created to ensure the safety of students inside the schools?
We have a general rule that the government orders all institutions to follow. Before entering the classroom, each student must wash their hands with water and soap, the desks inside the classroom are already organized 1 meter apart from each other.
Could you tell us how do you feel in this new phase of post covid-19 education? How is the dynamic of schools in this period?
I'm not happy. Sadness hurts me because it is a disease that is killing lives worldwide. Although the level of death in Angola is not as high as we usually see in the European countries, but it is really very sad.
On the other hand, despite the fact that some students are studying, it is still a detriment to these same students who are studying, because today students study in phases, one week they are at school and the other week they stay at home.
Even the fact of staying at home is already a brainstorming for the students. Since the education in Angola is grotesque and weak, this new beginning shouldn't be like this anymore, holidays after holidays, when it is to study we must really study. But unfortunately, the disease forces us to go as far as we cannot.
After this long interview, professor Inacio told us that he is a gospel singer and decided to sing us a COVID-19 song in an Angolan traditional language "kimbundu".
The COVID-19 pandemic is distressing the world’s stability and its economy. Angola is currently facing a study crisis similar to what several others are facing; which is not only impacting people's habits but also their ways of relating to one another.
Our today's guest is Miss Eulália Pereira, she is a Lecturer from Catholic University of Angola.
She states that, like other societies, Angola was not exempt from the economic and social impacts caused by Covid 19, the paralysis of classes showed that the Angolan education system was not prepared for non-classroom classes because there is a lot of difficulty in accessing the Internet and computer equipment on the part of many students and teachers. As a result of this students were left without classes and many teachers in the private sector were left without wages for the support of their families because the government is not giving any financial to private institutions.
According to her, teachers in this time of confinement should be empowered with new ways of teaching adapting to the new reality. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education should create and verify the conditions of Bio-safety in all schools before returning to classes and should also promote distance learning by creating technological conditions for it.
Bravo to all of the young Africans who are already creatively responding to the consequences of COVID-19 or other daily development challenges in the region.
Our today's guest is Gaspar, he will share with us the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on his life as a teacher.
Good afternoon, I'm Gaspar Estove, a primary school teacher. I would like to share the impact that Covid-19 has caused in our lives and Angola's populace in general.
This disease has brutally impacted schools and being a chemistry and biology teacher I was also affected.
The covid-19 created a tragic situation mainly for students, there are many complications and it is being difficult to deal with the situation, some have lost the academic year but we cannot lose hope because covid-19 is not greater than our God.
In the Book of Psalms 23 it says: Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Therefore, I want these words to serve as comfort and let us understand that nothing is lost yet. We can still fight for life, covid-19 has come to teach us that we still have the ability to overcome our challenges.
Since primary education was the sector most affected in Angola. How has covid-19 affected your life as a teacher? Didn't it impact your job?
I witnessed it and saw students dropping out of school, it was very sad.
Many families were disgraced to the point that they could no longer keep their children in school.
This negatively impacted my job, I lost a double salary.
How did it affect the school in general?
As I said before, one of the biggest losses we had was the absence of students because parents were no longer able to pay for their children's studies.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted even more the glaring injustices and disparities within our societies, and is giving us the chance to reflect on what is important to us. This is an opportunity that we should not squander. Instead, we should use it to recharge, refocus, reorganize and reinvent our ideas, to reform the status quo for a more inclusive and resilient Africa.
Girls back to school after lockdown. Campaign with Sofonie Dala, Angola
Longing for you in this quarantine!
''A song from my heart.''
Schools in Angola, recently opened their doors for in-person learning, however more than 100 had no conditions for the resumption of classes in Luanda.
By coincidence, our today's guest studies in one of those schools. Her school didn't create safe conditions for learning during this covid-19 pandemic.
''My school is not safe'', claimed a 15 year old Dorothea. However after a short interview she decided to sing a beautiful song for all of us!
Ladies and gentlemen, meet our singer Dorothea with the song '' longing for you in this quarantine''.
Interview
1. Introduction
Hello! My name is Doroteia Dala, I am 15 years old and I am a 9th grader.
2. How has covid - 19 affected your student life?
As a student the coronavirus affected me in several ways, my teachers stopped giving me knowledge, I was missing going out and I also was missing a lot of people (friends and family).
3. Now that schools have reopened, have you gone back to school?
Yes, I went back to study.
4. Has your school distributed any biosecurity materials?
No, my school did not distribute any bio-security material.
5. What are the prevention measures against covid - 19 you saw that the government / school created to ensure your safety?
Nothing. So far, my school didn't create any security measures to prevent students. Unfortunately there is no safe learning environment at school.
6. How do you feel? Are you enjoying going to class?
I'm not happy at all. Preventive measures are not being followed. My school did not create safe conditions to study.
Schools are more than a place for kids to learn.They should be safe places for children to be while their parents are working.
We are facing a global pandemic like no other which threatens the progress made by AU Member States in terms of access, participation and completion at primary and secondary levels of education in the African educational landscape.
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.
As schools begin to reopen across Africa after the COVID-19 related school closures, we are turning our focus to ensuring African girls return to school.
Our today's guest is Maria, she will share with us her school observation in post covid-19 education.
Hello! My name is Maria, I'm 15 years old and I'm in the 9th grade.
Schools have reopened and I started studying again. Although, my school did not distribute any bio-security material, they have adopted some coronavirus prevention measures such as washbasins with soaps and thermometer to measure our temperatures.
However, it is not enough for me, I would like to see other measures like distribution of biosafety materials to students such as alcohol gel, masks, gloves, etc.
Another guest is Telma, she will share with us her experiences during coronavirus pandemic.
Telma Pulino is 17 years old, she says that covid-19 has had a negative impact on her life, as she was used to a routine of attending face-to-face classes that suddenly stopped.
She is part of the group of few students who have benefited from online classes, yet she faced many difficulties in being present at the webinars. Procrastination was a big problem for her, because she thought she could leave all her chores for later.
According to her, the government and education and development agents must create conditions and methods to end this pandemic. In schools, favorable conditions must be created to receive girls and other students, as well as the ability to distribute biosafety material in abundance to ensure that there will not be new cases of covid-19 contamination in schools.
Today, over 875 million of the world’s students remain affected by the COVID-19-related school closures, with the majority in Sub-Saharan Africa. Globally, UNESCO estimates that 23.8 million learners from pre-primary to tertiary education may be at risk of not returning to school, including 11.2 million girls and young women.
For girls, the consequences are more devastating, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized. We know that girls will face risks of early and forced marriage or early pregnancy, preventing them from continuing or returning to education.
''Teachers, parents and caregivers are wondering what they can do to help students continue learning during COVID-19.''
For these reasons we have been interviewing girls and female teachers to help us to find solutions that can bring girls back to school safely.
Today we invited Meury Dala to join our show and give her contribution.
Meury is a 16-year-old Angolan girl, she complains that the covid-19 has negatively affected her student life. She has not been to school since March 2020 and her level of competition has dropped a lot.
She is no longer able to go to the media library or library, cannot interact with colleagues and teachers, nor is she able to study online because she does not have a digital phone. Moreover, the internet in Angola is very expensive.
Despite everything, she signed up for a vocational training center where she attends classes in small groups.
She recommends that government officials and educators and development players should create conditions for biosafety, divide students into small groups, free distribution of masks and school supplies to vulnerable students, in order to ensure that all girls return to school safely.
Angola definitely must create distance and online educational systems.
After a prolonged period of learning at home during school closures, student in Angola are back in the physical classroom since October 5 and adjusting to the new normal.
All students are required to have their temperature checked before entering the classrooms and clean their hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizers at the school’s screening point.
Our today's guest is Beatriz, she will share with us her experiences during covid-19 pandemic.
Hello! My name is Beatriz, I am 12 years old and I study in the 7th grade in a public school.
2. How has covid - 19 affected your student life?
The Covi-19 pandemic affected me a lot. This delayed my development at school, caused me a lot of psychological difficulties, delayed my studies and now I am having serious difficulties to assimilate.
In addition, I am afraid to repeat the school year because of the delay that covid-19 has caused.
3. Now that schools have reopened, have you gone back to school?
Thanks to God, schools have reopened and I started to study again, but I feel a little lost because I almost forgot everything I learned before the pandemic. However, our teachers have been repeating past subjects.
4. Has your school distributed any biosecurity materials?
My school didn't distribute any biosecurity materials, we only have the school guard who checks our temperature before we enter.
5. What are the prevention measures against covid - 19 you saw that the government / school created to ensure your safety?
The preventive measures that school has created are: to wash hands several times a day, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers, avoid crowded places, do not give hugs or kisses and always use the mask before leaving home.
6. How do you feel? Are you enjoying going to class?
I am very happy to go back to school but I am also very worried because I do not want to catch covid-19.
The prolonged school closures this year caused unprecedented challenges to teachers and children. Some children could not access online learning, while others had to help out their families during the day.
Therefore, teachers must redesign their methods of teaching to keep children learning and ensure that children don’t forget what they studied in the previous semester. ”
Africa Educates Her Campaign is on going. Nice covid-19 song
Post-COVID education needs to rely on more sustainable and holistic measures that go beyond just accessing education, but also address the obstacles encountered by girls and young women in accessing quality education and completing the school cycle.
Today we have many guests in our programme. This instrumental group suddenly created a song for covid-19.
Lyrics
The corona will kill us, it will, it will,
let's get prepared ... let's wash our hands with soap and water,
water and soap, wash your hands and use alcohol gel, just to clean your hands
and wear the mask whenever you leave your house
Let's protect ourselves from covid-19 because it is killing oh my brother!
Covid-19 is killing, oh my brother, run away from it and always protect yourself
Wash your hands with water and soap, wash your hands with water and soap ohh,
wash your hands with water and soap, put the gel just to clean your hands
Days in lockdown were an opportunity for children to reinvent ways of play and learning, exploring their immediate environment and making the most of what they had available.
Our today's guest is Meury. She will recite a very emotional Covid-19 poem for us all.
Ladies and gentlemen, please meet our poet Meury!
Covid-19
A disease that has attacked the whole world
And made the world its hostage.
The world has reached an extreme where tomorrow is uncertain
People now walk in fear of a faceless enemy
An enemy that we don't see;
Before, going out was routine
Now it became an extreme need
People don't just go out for leisure or just to have fun,
People now go out for a need
They leave their houses because they have to fulfill an activity that can not be left for tomorrow or that can not be postponed
Now everything we do is cautious,
We use a mask to protect ourselves
Before, we didn't have all this care,
Because we didn't have a threat. Now that we have,
We are giving importance to friendships,
We are giving importance to being with someone we love.
Thank you.
Building resilience in children is one way we help them to cope in difficult moments.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is of a scale most people alive today have never seen. We're all currently facing unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19, and one of the most important things we can all do is check in with each other.
Back to school after lockdown. Campaign with preschool children - Angola.
School closures caused by the pandemic exacerbated previously existing inequalities, and that children who were already most at risk of being excluded from a quality education have been most affected. Since the lockdown of primary school, pupils spend most of their time at home with their parents and siblings. Schools began locking down just when children started to feel safe in the classroom environment, began developing trust with their teachers, and started to enjoy their relationships with other children.
Many girls might not return to school
Our first guest is an 8 years old girl, her name is Ruth and she will share with us her experiences during lock-downs and how coronavirus has affected her life.
This little girl confessed that the coronavirus pandemic has delayed her life, she can't go to school, she doesn't see her teacher and her classmates for a long time. She's very sad about this situation.
To continue learning, she reviews all old homework assignments and reads books.
She recommends that the governors should put in the schools water buckets with soap for students to wash their hands, create sanitary conditions and social distance.
For many households, lockdowns have seen incomes and savings disappear, meaning they will simply not be able to pay school fees — and where they can, boys may be prioritized.
“By trying to mitigate the risk of families falling into extreme poverty ... we hope to help mitigate the risk of those families keeping their children, especially their girls, out of school once they reopen.”
Many children received no education after schools closed across the continent in March 2020.
Today we are talking to kids. Janio is no longer learning, he is only waiting for the reopening to continue with his studies.
1. Introduction
My name is Janio, I am Angolan, I am 7 years old and I am studying in the 2 class.
2. Now that schools have reopened, have you gone back to school?
No, because the government did not create conditions for preschool children to study.
3. What are the conditions you would like the government to create to ensure your safety at school?
I would like the government to provide water to wash our hands, to give me mask and alcohol gel and I also want them to create safe conditions for students.
That's all thanks!
Many children received no instruction, feedback, or interaction with their teachers. “Children are not taught during this period”. Although some students had received printed assignments, “We cannot say that this is normal education”.
Interview with Lanete
1. Introduction
Hello! My name is Lanete, I'm 11 years old, studying in the 5th grade and I'm Angolan.
2. Now that schools have reopened, have you gone back to school?
I didn't go back to school because of the pandemic covid-19.
3. How has covid-19 affected your student life?
Covid-19 affected me in many ways, I can no longer go to school, I cannot see my colleagues, I am not studying, I cannot see my teachers and so on.
4. What are the conditions you would like the government / school to create to ensure your safety at school?
I would like my school to create conditions like providing water to wash our hands, donation of masks, gloves and other biosafety equipment.
Children in Lockdown
COVID-19 has led to major disruptions to families' lives, through social distancing, closure of childcare settings and lockdown. Although schools have been reopening children were excluded from a quality education.
We decided to organize a special dedication program for our children who, due to coronavirus (COVID-19) lost their rights to go back to school.
Today we have a couple, David and Lanete. They will share with us their experiences during school closures.
Interview with David
1. Introduction
Hello! My name is David, I am 10 years old and I study in the 5th grade.
2. Why are you no longer going to school?
Because of the pandemic. The government did not create better conditions for preschool students to study.
3. How has covid-19 affected your student life?
The coronavirus affected me in several ways, I no longer go to school, I no longer have the supervision of the teachers, I no longer see my colleagues, I no longer go to the library and my scientific knowledge is declining.
4. What are the conditions you would like the government / school to create in order to ensure your safety at school?
I would like the school to impose measures such as hand washing with water and soap, to put an official at the main gate to measure our temperature, I also want the government to donate gloves, masks and alcohol gel.
5. Why do you want to go back to school?
I want to go back to school because I am a child and my duty is to study in order to increase my scientific knowledge and in the future I want to be the president of the country.
Interview with Joice
1. Introduction
Hello! My name is joice, I am 10 years old, I study in the fifth grade and I am Angolan.
2. Now that schools have reopened, have you gone back to school?
I didn't go back to class because of the coronavirus.
3. How has covid-19 affected your student life?
Well, the coronavirus affected my studies and I can't go out to play anymore.
However, in these free times I like to help people in need, I like to play, to read and I also like to go to the explanation with the tutor.
4. What are the measures you would like the government to create to ensure your safety at school?
Well, I want the government to distribute mask, alcohol gel and force the students to keep the social distance of 1 meter from each other.
Covid-19: Africa educates her campaign is on going- day 14
School closures harm girls in many ways, often with long-term consequences.
Our today's guest is a 15 years old Maria. She will share with us how covid-19 has affected her academic life.
Coronavirus has affected me in many ways. I don't go to school anymore, I don't interact with my teachers and my colleagues, and it will also be an annulled academic year, lamented Maria.
In the question about what you have been doing to continue learning during the pandemic, she replied that she watches tele-classes on TV, reviews old school materials, consults the dictionary, etc.
She also said that, the government should install piped water in schools, distribute biosafety materials, masks, gloves, soap and provide strict control of social distance between students, so they can study safe when schools reopen.
Governments should work with communities, school officials and teachers to monitor whether girls are participating in remote educational programs. If these initiatives are not reaching girls or if their families or communities are not prioritizing the girls ’education, they will need to intervene.
Governments should additionally provide information and services on sexual and reproductive health to adolescents. This includes making sure they can access a broad range of contraceptives, which respects their dignity and privacy.
When schools reopen, these efforts must continue. School officials and teachers should make sure that girls are returning. From now, governments should be tracking the numbers of children affected by school closures and provide gender disaggregated data to ensure they can act if a significant number of children do not return to school.
Governments should develop measures to identify and assist those who have not returned, for example by providing financial assistance programs.
Now is also a good time for countries that exclude pregnant girls and adolescent mothers from school to reform those policies and develop human rights-compliant policies.
Education is not freely available to everyone - and in many parts of the world girls are the first to be excluded from it. Girls are the first to drop out of school, and the first to be failed by the system, facing the perils of early marriage, early pregnancy, and abuse. Without the choice to write their own futures, their endless potential is wasted.
