By Chalo Mvula
The coronavirus (Covid 19) pandemic continues to wreck the world as more and more people are diagnosed with the illness. The world is slowly standing still as countries are introducing measures such as lockdowns in order to combat the spread of the deadly virus. To make sure that a lot of Malawians are aware of the dangers of the disease and to learn preventative measures, Malawi Congress Congress Party Kokoliliko group has embarked on a nationwide tour to sensitize Malawians about the illness.
After Malawi leader President Mutharika announced last week measures that his government will take to fight the illness, Kokolikiko group , which has been travelling in different parts of the countries campaigning for Dr Lazarus Chakwera quickly decided to channel their energies into sensitizing people about the illness “We quickly realised that a lot of Malawians were not getting enough information about the illness ,as young people , we thought this is the time to make sacrifices and travel to get people to know about the illness and in so doing save lives and stop the disease from spreading all over Malawi” one of the leaders of the group Daud Suleman said.
Kokoliliko is a group that was formed as the aftermath of the election court case. MCP key witnesses in the case Daud Suleman, Tony Bendulo and Peter Lackson decided to start making lecture tours to get people to understand more about what happened during the case and also to get the youths ready to be election monitors in the forthcoming elections. The popularity of the trio has seen thousands of people throng to their tours where amidst the lectures, the trio encourages people to vote for MCP leader Dr Lazarus Chakwera
Covid 19 however, has seen the trio wanting to make a difference to the life of Malawians. They have launched an initiative where they are calling doctors, health practitioners or nursing and medical students from KCN, college medicine and health sciences to what they call a “national service” to get Malawi ready for the outbreak. On Tuesday the group had a number of whistles stops in Salima east, west and north constituencies. The group is distributing 600 tablets of soap per constituency to help the locals adhere to the call to wash their hands with soap regularly.
Since Mutharika banned any public gatherings, Kokoliliko has structured their sensitization tours by arranging small sized meetings. Malawi has so far not registered any case of disease. Covid 19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It’s caused by a virus called coronavirus. Common Symptoms are a cough, a high temperature and shortness of breath. Simple measures like washing your hands often with soap and water can help stop the illness from spreading, a vital message that Kokoliliko hopes Malawians will listen to.
