COVID-19 IN MALAWI

MATENDA A COVID-19 KU MALAWI

INTRODUCTION

CHIYAMBI

A wave originating from Asia, so brutal and harsh, killing thousands and thousands of people and living millions of them battling for life. Crossing oceans and boarders without even a passport, landing in almost all parts of the world and that includes the warm heart of Africa, Malawi. Malawi registered its first covid-19 cases on 20th March 2020; this was announced by the then president of Malawi, Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika. During the night of 20th March 2020 everybody trembled with fear having it in mind that that the beast had finally arrived. Having seen how developed countries were battling with the pandemic, Malawians turned hopeless considering our healthy facilities. On the same night, the president ordered the closure of all schools (primary, secondary and tertiary) and imposed a ban on social gathering.
Little by little, months by months people started adopting to the new ways of living.

Mlimi ochokera mayiko a aluya, oyipa kwambiri, opha miyanda miyanda ya anthu ndikusiya ena ambiri akuvutika ndikudwala. Mlimi owoloka njaya ndi zipata zolowera mmayiko kutera mu zigawo zonse za dziko lapansi kuphatikizirapo Ku Malawi. Mm’ziko la malawi mudapezeka nthenda ya Covid-19 pa 20 Malichi mchaka cha 2020. Izi zinatsimikizidwa ndi mtsogoleri wopuma wadziko la Malawi, Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika. Utsiku wa tsikuli anthu adatunthumira ndi mantha pozindikira kuti mlili oopsawo udatigwera tsono. Amalawi ambiri adataya mitima potengera ndi mmene zipatala zathu zilili. Mtsogoleri opumayi adalamulanso kuti masukulu onse asekedwe ndipo anthu asiye kusonkhana mwa unyinji.

Pakutha kwa nthawi tsono anthu adayamba kuzolowera moyo watsopano wo.

ITS IMPACTS

ZOTSATIRA ZAKE

The novel of COVID-19 has had its fatal impacts on the human race. Some of which include the loss of skilled personnel and the disruption of education services.

Mlili wa covid-19 wabweresa ziphinjo zoyipa kwambiri pa miyoyo ya anthu. Zina mwa izo kutaya miyoyo ya anthu odalilika pa ntchito komanso kusokoneza ntchito za maphunziro.

HEALTH SECTOR

NTCHITO ZA UMOYO

In the wake of COVID-19 our health sector has been over burden with the rising surge of cases admitted in the country’s main hospitals and all referral hospital at large. The little funds allocated to the ministry of health for the day-to-day fight against diseases like Malaria, typhoid and other deadly diseases had to be diverted into the fight against COVID-19; a thing that promoted mortality in the country, reproductive health services also dwindled to as far as hospitals running out of contraceptives including Condoms for months. With our over worked health personnel slapped with even more responsibilities than ever before. The whole system came down to its needs; vulnerable and in despair cries for help were heard all over. We still are in need and time is of at most importance for a healthy nation is a heavy boost to economic development.

Munyengo ya mlili wu zipatala zathu zakhala zili pa kalikiliki oopsa ovuta zedi kamba ka kukwera kwa chiwerengero cha anthu opezeka ndi mnthendayi omwe amagonekedwa mzipatala zodalilika za dzikoli ndi zipatala zina zonse. Chuma chomwe chinaikidwa  kuti chithandizire kuthana ndi matenda ena monga malungo ndi matenda ena chinagwiritsidwa ntchito yolimbana ndi mnthendayi.  Mnthendayi idazesa imfa zambiri mbiri. Ntchito za ubeleki ndi upangiri wabwino nazonso zinakumana ndiziphinjo. Ogwira ntchito za umoyo nawo analibe nthawi yopuma pothandizira kulimbana ndi mliliwu paja dziko lomwe anthu ake ndi a thanzi, chuma chimayenda bwino.

BUSINESS COMMUNITY

NTCHITO ZA MALONDA

The prevention of COVID-19 saw businesses getting closed; Community development was slowed down as sources of income were blocked completely. Malawi’s GDP is driven by the agricultural sector; during the wake of COVID-19, farm inputs we’re scarce as boarders were closed as such all vehicles carrying agricultural inputs coming to Malawi couldn’t make it into the country. For businesses operating in the transportation sector also faced a serious blow as the number of passengers boarding buses were reduced so as to maintain social distance in the buses. Not only that but also fuel hikes that raised from the global increase in fuel prices as due to the effect of covid-19 also hindered many minibus business operators from progressing in the business sector.

Munthawi yofuna kuthana ndi Covid-19 malonda ambiri adayimira panjira ndipo Chitukuko nacho chidabwerera mbuyo. Chuma cha Malawi chodza kamba ka ntchito za ulimi nacho chinakumana  ndizokhoma kamba koti zipangizo za ulimi zidasowa kutengera kuti zipata zolowera mdziko muno zidasekedwa choncho galimoto zonyamula katundu ndi zipangizo za ulimi zizimakwanisa kulowa.

Ntchito za mtengatenga nazo zidakhuzidwa kwambiri potengera kuti chiwerengero cha anthu omwe amayenera kuti azikwera Magalimoto chidachepesedwa ndicholinga choti anthu azitha kutalikirana. Sizokhazo ayi komanso kukwera kwa mtengo wa mafuta kamba ka mnthendayi kudakhuzanso ntchito za mtengatenga.

ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

GAWO LA ZA MTSANGULUTSO

The social gathering ban that was ordered by the president forced communities to do away with traditions that binds our nation and promote peace and Unity. This had a massive impact in the entertainment industry as artists such as musicians, poets and dramatist failed to make it thus they couldn’t make any profit from the funds collected from those few numbers of people in attendance.   The pandemic created a strong social gap that will take time to heal.

Chileso choti anthu asamakumane chidapangisa  anthu kuti ataye chikhalidwe chomwe chimatiluzanisa ngati dziko. Izinso zidakhuza anthu aluso kamba koti amalephera kupanga ndalama ndi luso lawo loyimba, ndakatulo komanso zisudzo chifukwa anthu owonerera adali ochepesesa.

LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT SECTOR

GAWO LA ZA NTCHITO NDI ZAKALEMBEDWE KA NTCHITO

Covid-19 has also affected the labour and employment sector in a way that a large number of people have lost their jobs as the number of people in the working places were trimmed as one of the measures that automatically reduced the number of people gathering in working places so as to control the spread of covid-19. This has further led to an increase in the rate of unemployment leaving many people in poverty state where they fail to afford basic daily needs by themselves.

Anthu ambiri achosedwa ntchito kamba koti chiwerengero cha anthu ogwira ntchito pamalo amodzi chidanka nachichepesedwa ngati njira imodzi yopewera nthendayi.

Izi zasetsa kuchuluka kwa chiwerengero cha anthu omwe sali pantchito  kusiya anthu ambiri akuvutika ndikusowa kupeza zozithandizira pamoyo wa tsiku ndi tsiku.

COVID 19 has also affected the country by taking some of the skilled personnel in our country. It is understandable that Covid 19 is fatal and has taken hundreds and hundreds of lives some of which were serving the government and the public at large. The services that were operated by them were left vacant which also slowed the progress the development in some parts of the country. It is not only the government that has suffered the loss. Families too, some of which depended on the deceased have lost their loved ones leaving them in despair. Just to mention a few of the innocent people the country has lost, late Sidik Mia is one brilliant and talented taken by this novel of COVID-19.

Covid-19 yatenganso miyoyo ya anthu odalilika pantchito kupita nawo kuli chete. Chilungamo ndi choti mthendayi yapha miyanda miyanda ya anthu omwe ena amagwira ntchito zopamwamba za boma. Izi zidapangisa kuti mipando ina ikhalr opanda anthu. Siboma lokha ayi komanso mabanjanso ataya okondedwa awo kuwasiya pamavuto.  Mwachitsanso, Malemu Nduna yakale  ya zamtengatenga Sidik Mia ndi mmodzi mwa anthu odalilika omwe ngati dziko lidataya.

EDUCATION SECTOR

NTCHITO ZAMAPHUNZIRO

The other sector which has been massively affected by COVID-19 is education. Education as the key to success has always been the core task for the human race including Malawi and the majority has always relied in it despite having other ways of earning a living. The coming in of COVID-19 has hindered many people from accessing education services starting from the primary education to tertiary education. This is so for the reason that all schools in the country were closed and no one’s hand was free to reopen them in the amidst of the pandemic.

Maphunziro kukhala zifungulo zatsogolo lowala nawo anakhuzidwa ndi mliliwu.  Kubwera kwa mliliwu kwapangisa anthu kuti asolobane pofuna kupeza Maphunziro.  Izi zili choncho kamba koti masukulu adasekedwa. Izi zidazesa zotsatira zoipa. Achinyamata nawo adayamba makhalidwe oyipa monga kuledzera komanso kutsuta chamba pamenenso atsikana anthu amatenga mimba. Covid-19 yapha tsogolo la anthu ena ophunzira.

After the fresh presidential elections that Malawians casted their votes for due to nullification of 2019 presidential election, the country had seen a sharp rise in covid-19 more than before. In the month of December, the second wave of south-African variant had it peak. This also led to a second closure of school in February 2021.
Now, discussions are still under way on how Malawi as a country can heal from the scars of the covid-19 pandemic.
How do you think Malawi’s economy can get back on track?

Chitatha chisankho cha mtsogoleri wa dziko chatsopano chomwe anthu adavota motsatira chigamulo cha bwalo la milandu chonena kuti cha mchaka cha 2019 sichidachitike, chiwerengero cha anthu opezeka ndi nthenda ya covid-19 chinakwera. Mmwezi wa Disembala , mlili wachiwiri wa kachirombo ka corona ka kusouth Africa unatekesa dziko. Izi zidapangisa kuti ma sukulu asekedwenso ka chiwiri mu febuluwale chaka cha 2021.

Pakadali pano zokambirana za momwe Malawi ngati dziko lingapitire patsogolo zili mkati. Kodi chuma cha Malawi chingayambenso kuyenda bwanji?

Now that the vaccine is here, how can the government reach out to people and encourage them to go and get their jab? – in the remote areas of Malawi where still by now some people don’t have enough information about the pandemic and say “iyi ndi mnthenda ya anthu olemera” meaning ‘this a disease for rich people’. How can these people get fully sensitised?

Potengera kuti katemera adafika mdziko muno, boma lingafikire bwanji anthu ndikuwalimbikisa kuti akabayise? -mmadera akumidzi a Malawi anthu ambiri amati “iyi ndi mnthenda ya anthu olemera” kamba koti alibe uthenga okwanira okhuza matendawa. Kodi anthuwa angadziwisidwe bwanji?