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Churches in Africa and South Asia respond to the Coronavirus pandemic

Churches in Africa and South Asia respond to the Coronavirus pandemic

By Chris Sugden and Andrew Carey
CEN
Apr 16, 2020

UK media reports focus on the impact and extent of COVID-19 in their hubs in Europe and North America. The threat in Africa and Asia is very great. Incidences of infection do seem to be being contained at the moment, through stringent lockdowns. A map published on April 10 and sent by a Bishop in Zambia shows a total of 2468 cases in 12 countries, of which 2003 are in South Africa, and 66 deaths, of which 24 are in South Africa.

But while few comparatively few cases of infections are recorded these lockdowns are having a major effect on supplies of food, particularly for those on daily wages.

The Barnabas Coronovirus Emergency Network is collecting information especially from Churches in Africa and Asia which are found particularly in poor areas and report the pressure on their efforts to distribute food to families of poor labourers who live from their daily work

In Nigeria, the Government has extended the lockdown for a further two weeks. The country has 338 cases, and over the last four weeks new cases have tripled from 5 a day to 15 a day. Rev Fred George, a senior pastor in Lagos reports that the government lockdown prevented their church distributing further food parcels in three different locations for households in need. While the Federal Government is making relief supplies available for those in dire need, churches are yet to report receiving any. There are no data on who has received what. The leadership team of Rev George's Church have decided to contribute 10% of their salaries to buy foodstuffs to these families. "We have to sacrifice like Jesus", he said. The church sends sermons for families to use in their worship services at home, by text message where people do not have smart-phones.

Such teaching is important to counter fanciful theories which are circulating in NIgeria on the end-time or rapture, or in South Sudan that drinking tea without sugar before sunset will protect from the virus.

The diocese of Jos reports opportunistic attacks by the Fulani herdsmen on three remote Christian villages in Plateau State, taking advantage of the lockdown. A task force in the diocese is consulting with medical personnel to set up pre-emptive medical arrangements.

Bishop Michael Deng of Abyei in South Sudan reported an attack on a Christian village on Monday April 13 in which Islamic militants killed four Christians, and burnt houses and the church.

In Zambia the President has required people to wear masks at all times, and that all incoming travelers are tested and quarantined. He expressly thanked churches and mosques who have told their congregants to pray from home. As of April 13th, the country has 43 confirmed cases with no new cases reported for seven days, 30 people have recovered and 2 have died.

In Uganda preaching and church services are put on TV and radio. The police beat anyone outside their home after the 7 p.m. curfew.

In South Sudan around 7 million people, more than half the county's population, are dependent on humanitarian aid according to the UN. The fragile peace concluded in 2018 is holding but the country has lurched from one crisis to another.

James Stileman of Anglican International Development reports that since January South Sudan has suffered flooding from torrential rains, swarms of locusts ravaging crops, inflation decimating the economy and now Coronavirus has entered the country with a fourth infection recorded this past week. With little healthcare infrastructure the world's youngest country is bracing itself for catastrophe.

Trumpeters Community Health has long been delivering hygiene training, handwashing, building latrines, improving access to clean water and diarrhoea and cholera prevention programmes.

The Manna Microfinance programme field officer visits their 250 'clients', who have business loans through the scheme. Clients are arranged in self-supporting groups of around 8 ladies, each supported by their local pastor. With this strong community base, it will be able to withstand the disruption of the coronavirus.

Bishop Michael Deng of Abyei in South Sudan reported on attack on a Christian village on Monday April 13 in which Islamic militants killed four Christians, and burnt houses and the church.

Kenya had 158 confirmed cases as of April 6th, of which over 96% are in Nairobi and the coastal strip. Those outside these areas have been traced to travellers from those areas from and to which all travel has been banned for three weeks from April 6-27. President Uhuru Kenyatta urged people to "pray for the quick recovery of those undergoing treatment", adding the need to "fundamentally change how we act... because even as we pray for the best, we must be ready for the worst".

Masks are to be worn outside the home and thousands of tailors all over the country are making masks. State and Public officials have taken voluntary paycuts, property owners have reduced rents and income and VAT taxes have been reduced in order to release funds to pay for food supplies and hygiene materials for the most vulnerable.

In Bangladesh testing is only available in Dhaka. 35 churches report 476 families who have become jobless and so have no income. As recent converts from Islam, their neighbours will not give them loans or free food.

In Pakistan lockdown is not being followed sufficiently. When infection is reported in a crowded slum, only that slum is closed down. 5000 cases have been recorded with 100 deaths. Some pastors conducted Easter services in the street with loudspeaker equipment and people standing at a social distance apart.

Nepal has recorded 16 cases with 15 hospitalisations. No NGO involvement is allowed in the Government relief efforts to provide food aid.

Dr Vinay Samuel from Bangalore in South India reports that Schools and Colleges in Karnataka State are ordered to be closed till the end of July.

The national lockdown is likely to be extended to the end of May. Their feeding programme for 525 people and 260 families provided with grocery packs for a week has gone on for 18 days.

Their resources will last another ten days. Dr Samuel thinks it is now the State's responsibility to provide for the hundreds of thousands who will need free meals which their volunteers will be there to distribute.

70% of all the teachers in India serve in private schools that serve low income families. Private schools must NOT collect any fees from parents from March till the schools reopen in August. Since teachers' salaries depend on the fees, this will hurt the teachers who are the main bread winners of their families. The children have no laptops or tablets and they are working on how to resource them online using their parents' phones.

Short Whats App messages in Tamil and Kannada for daily transmission are supporting their congregations and community families spiritually

Many new friends have been made from the Hindu community. Some Hindu young professionals who studied in Christian schools have shared in distributing meals and provisions and identifying groups in need.

Susie Leafe, the Communications Director of GAFCON UK has been giving online tutorials to church leaders in Africa in using Zoom for worship sessions, church council and small group meetings.
https://efacglobal.com/news/2020-04/how-are-churches-doing-re-covid-19-in-africa-and-south-asia

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