This file photo shows students on their way to school in Blantyre, Malawi, Feb. 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Joseph Mizere)
Schools in Blantyre and Lilongwe, two major cities in Malawi, have reopened after the government demanded all classes suspended in the two cities for two weeks following an increasing number of cholera cases.
BLANTYRE, Malawi, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Schools in Blantyre and Lilongwe, two major cities in Malawi, have reopened after the government demanded all classes suspended in the two cities for two weeks following an increasing number of cholera cases.
In Blantyre, Malawi's second-largest city, many schools reopened Tuesday with a high student turnout.
According to District Education Manager Anitta Kaliwo in Blantyre, efforts are being made to ensure that hygiene measures are followed in all public schools around the city, especially during this rainy season.
"We are so happy that classes have now resumed after a short break: cholera is becoming rampant in most areas around the city, but we have set a number of regulations to be followed to curb the spread of the outbreak in our facilities," Kaliwo said. "We are working hand in hand with all stakeholders to ensure that every school has safe water, functioning toilets and clean food. As of now, we are doing sensitization meetings with parents to enlighten them on the best ways to prepare their children for school."
Meanwhile, students are excited that schools have now opened and hygiene measures are in place.
This file photo shows students attending a class at a school in Blantyre, Malawi, on March 9, 2021. (Photo by Joseph Mizere/Xinhua)
"Unusual school breaks are always demotivating to us as students: long holidays tend to switch our concentration to other things. Now that classes have resumed, I am so happy that I will have a better environment to prepare for my final examination," said Steven Kayenge, a student.
Parents are also happy that the schools have opened but they are demanding tough regulations in the schools to ensure that children are protected from the risk of contracting cholera.
"The reopening of public schools is a very good idea, but extra caution has to be taken in order to ensure that our children are safe," said Clara Msowaya, a parent.
Malawi is experiencing a severe cholera outbreak since the first cases of cholera were recorded in Malawi in March 2022. The country has recorded 26,263 cholera cases, with 852 deaths, in all the country's 28 districts as of Tuesday, according to health authorities' latest update on the disease. ■
