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.
Outstandingstories of women and girls who dropped out of school due to child marriage and teen pregnancy
Both early teen marriage and dropping out of school have historically been associated with a variety of negative outcomes, including higher poverty rates throughout life.
Our girls back to school campaign is ongoing
Luisa's story
Our today's guest is Luisa, she will share with us her academic history and consequences of her choices.
I regret breaking my studies because of a young marriage
Hello! My name is Luisa, I will talk a little about my academic life and how I stopped studying.
I stopped studying when I was twenty years old because I found a husband. This marriage made me forget school, I gave birth to four children. But I regret that I stopped studying. Now I have no way to go back to study because life no longer allows me to study. I don't have a job, my husband is also unemployed, and we're all stuck.
If someone offers me a help, I would like to go back to study because I have this desire so that my daughters can also study, in order to improve our life a little bit.
What grade did you stop studying in? How old are you now?
I stopped studying in the 8th grade. Now I am 34 years old.
Have your daughters ever gone to school?
Yeah, they did. My first daughter is 14 years old, finished the 8 grade and has been two years without studying.
The second daughter is 13 years old, she concluded the 4th grade and is also two years without studying.
Have you done anything to continue your daughters' academic development at home?
What I've been doing isn't enough to pay their tuition. I am a street vendor and the little bit I earn is used to buy food that has also not been enough. Sometimes we sleep without eating dinner, there is no food to eat.
Another thing, our life is very difficult, we live in a poor slate house with a miserable yard, there is no light or running water. We carry the bathtub for 200 kwanzas that is very expensive for us.
I take this moment to ask for support from good faith people to help my family.
Madam, you said that there is no water in your house. Isn't it difficult to comply with the prevention measures against covid-19?
It is very difficult indeed. In the neighborhood where we live people do not respect the rules, we can find many people crowded in public places, things are very expensive. In general we live a very critical life.
Today we invited Osana, she will share with us a little of her academic life.
It has been difficult to pay for my studies and at the same time support my baby
Hello, good afternoon! My name is Osana Manuel, I'm 22 years old and I'm going to share my academic life with you.
Unfortunately, I became pregnant at the age of 18. I gave birth to my son, finished high school and even managed to enter the first year of university. But I was forced to lock the school year because of financial problems.
How long have you been without studying?
I stopped studying in 2019. I locked the year because it has been difficult to pay for my studies and at the same time support my baby.
Osana, aren't you married?I'm not married.Unfortunately my relationship with my son's father did not work so I am a single mother.
Would you like to go back to school if an opportunity came up?
I would really like to go back to school because study is one of my biggest focuses. I attend many short courses but I really want to finish university.
How did covid-19 impact your life?
The covid-19 disease was practically a disgrace, I was working and suddenly I stopped because of the covid-19 pandemic. I am now unemployed. Till today I'm sitting at home.
Pregnancy related school dropouts have become a matter of public concern in the world today. Schoolgirls who become pregnant have fewer opportunities to complete their education after childbirth and have fewer opportunities for socioeconomic advancement.
Our today's guest is Maria, she will share with us her academic journey.
I dropped out of school due to teenage pregnancy.
Hello, My name is Maria Gomes, I'm 21 years old, I'm here to talk about my academic life.
Maria are you studying right now?
No.
When did you stop studying and how old were you at the time?
I stopped studying in the 7th grade in 2017, at the age of 18.
Why did you stop studying?
I stopped studying because I got pregnant. When I discovered the pregnancy I did not stop studying at that moment, I continued with my studies until November 2017, then I dropped out of school because of the pregnancy symptoms.
Are you married to the father of your child?
No. We broke up because he denied the pregnancy
Would you like to go back to school?
Yeah, I'd like to go back to school.
What are the reasons that prevent you from going back to study?
Lack of financial resources. I have no money to pay my tuition.
How has the coronavirus affected you?
I used to work, but after the emergence of the pandemic my boss asked me to stay home. Also things in this period are very expensive and have made life very difficult, we had no way to eat at home, I am not working.
How have you been supporting your son?
My 35-year-old older sister has been helping me with the expenses. In general, I support my son alone without his father's help.
How old is your son?
My son is now 3 years old.
Girls and young women’s access, retention and completion in schools is still of huge concern in Africa. Our continent also has the highest rate of out of school children and adolescents globally. However, girls remain more likely to be permanently excluded from education and at a higher risk of being left behind.
Studies indicate that a woman who marries young is 31 percentage points more likely to live in poverty when she is older. Similarly, a woman who drops out of school is 11 percentage points more likely to be poor.
Women who marry early can have a high likelihood of ending up poor later in life, yet can still be optimizing. However, even if the individual is optimizing, society might still be concerned about the effects of poverty on her children and the costs associated with transfer programs.
Violence against children takes many forms, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and may involve neglect or deprivation. Violence occurs in many settings, including the home, school, community and over the Internet.
Sometimes raising awareness about sexual violence happens through very practical means.
IBM RPA Chatbot-BabyScream
We designed an Anti-harassment chatbot named BabyScream to help victims of child marriage, domestic violence and sexual abuse, denounce harmful practices.
Hands-on lab
IBM RPA Web Automation and Anti-Harassment Chatbot to Prevent Child Marriage and Abuse
We used RPA Automation Studio to create and deploy an Anti-Harassment Chatbot to Prevent Child Marriage and Abuse and automate our Web.
Anti-harassment Chatbot-BabyScream — To End Child Marriage
Education is an essential factor in combating the worst forms of child labour, including child marriage, domestic violence, teen pregnancy, human trafficking, poverty, social exclusion and gender bias.
The main goals of the project are to strengthen prevention mechanisms against child marriage and teen pregnancy, improve the mental health and education process and support survivors safely.
Sometimes raising awareness about sexual violence happens through very practical means. In many rural communities We visit, both girls and boys learn how to sew reusable menstrual pads, which not only enables more girls to attend school, but also creates opportunities for boys to discuss their responsibility to reduce sexual and physical violence.
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