Mossuril Museum of Slavery's Nursery School

When Covid-19 started, the word from health and other experts was that Africa was in line for a catastrophe the likes of which had never been seen. In particular, countries with poor health facilities were warned to brace themselves for the loss 'of millions of people'. 

Since then, two things have happened: Firstly, Governments such as Mozambique's have taken drastic preventive measures in the hopes of stopping the spread of the Coronavirus.

And secondly, with the exception of South Africa, and several North African countries (e.g. Egypt, Algeria and Morocco), there are very few cases of Coronavirus on the African continent.

Whether this is due solely to the preventive measures taken or also to the high temperatures here or the fact that 80% of the population (e.g. of Mozambique) is under 25-years-old: who can tell?

Meanwhile, almost everything has stopped by Presidential order. All the schools, universities and nursery schools are closed. All gatherings of over 5-peole are banned and while there is no lockdown as such, we have all been asked and told to stay at home.

While we cannot open our pre-school and will not be able to do so until the State of Emergency here is lifted, there is no progress report to give.

A secondary effect of the sanctions here has been an unprecedented crime wave. In the light of dire international warnings, knowing that prisoners in the country’s over-crowded prisons would be at risk, President Nyusi gave an amnesty to all prisoners with sentences of one year and under. As a result, hundreds of prisoners were released in April and there have been hundreds of thefts and home invasions. We had a home invasion some weeks ago when a gang armed with cutlasses smashed down our bedroom door (luckily to then be chased away by my outraged spouse). And the pre-school building has also been under attack with 4 robberies in as many weeks. Again, luckily, not much was stolen because the guards chased the intruders away.

Thus, to date, the main result of Covid-19 here in Mozambique has been the side effects of the preventive sanctions.

There are now 424 confirmed cases and 2 deaths. Most of the cases are quarantined at home and 114 of the 424 have recovered.

But, 24,000 workers of the 64,000 who work in the tourist industry have lost their jobs and tens of thousands of shopkeepers and informal tradesmen and women have been plunged back into poverty as a direct result of the sanctions. These sanctions have been extra hard on the many communities around Beira and Pemba which have still not recovered from the ravages of two cyclones. Here, in Mossuril, signs of the growing poverty are apparent. Dozens of villagers are asking for small loans - most of which, alas, we cannot afford to give. In other countries, the economic victims of Covid-19 are being, or will be, indemnified, but here there is no budget for such largesse and the majority of people live from hand-to-mouth, budgeting day by day with little or no reserves to fall back on. 

Thus, it seems that the consequences of the Coronavirus will reach far into the future. In a continent that loses millions of people every year to malaria, cholera and tuberculosis to name but three of the many plagues here, it is hard for people to grasp why their hard-won state of well-being has been taken away from them for what seems to be mythical reasons. Here in the Province of Nampula, there are 3 cases of Coronavirus.

Some people say that the reason why there are so few cases here and in so many other African countries is because so few tests are being done. But if that were the case, the health posts and hospitals would be full of sick and dying Covid-19 victims: yet the hospitals are mostly empty and the many special isolation wards that were prepared for the prophesized pandemic are empty.

The current State of Emergency will continue, by Presidential decree, until June 30^th. After that, we shall see what happens and also whether we can finally open our pre-school.

Meanwhile, a big thank you to all our donors. And our heart-felt sympathy for all those who are having to deal with the brunt of the pandemic.

And for want of any more specific news, I have attached a chart of Coronavirus cases in Africa.

There is a Chinese curse which says, ‘May you live in interesting times.’

Let us continue to hope for better and calmer times ahead.

• Coronavirus_chart_for_Africa_04_05_2020.pdf (PDF)