The Trumpet Newspaper Issue 518 (May 6 - 19 2020)

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Page8 TheTrumpet MAY 6 - 19 2020 Reunion Race to reunite a family during the COVID-19 pandemic They have been separated for four years because of the conflict in North-eastern Nigeria. Had they ever imagined that a global pandemic might postpone their reunion? For Alia* and her daughter, who both bear the mental scars of being separated, it was already too long. Too violent. Too traumatic. As the number of confirmed cases increases steadily each week, the Nigerian authorities have stepped up preventive measures to curb the spread of the disease, imposing a lockdown in several States. In Borno State, the epicentre of the conflict in the North-East, a grim scenario weighs heavily on many minds; the spread of the virus in the overstretched and overcrowded camps, where social distancing and access to clean water are far from granted. “We got the address of the mother”, Safiya says, after talking to traditional leaders gathered in the shade. Safiya works for the International Committee for the Red Cross, which helps reunite family members separated during the armed conflict, together with the Nigerian Red Cross Society. Under a scorching sun, Safiya follows one of the leaders to the mother’s house, walking past a Mosque riddled with Aicha's grandmother's rug bullets and the rubble of buildings destroyed during a flare-up of violence. It’s a painful reminder that the conflict has not slowed down to allow the virus to run its course. The good news has spread throughout the neighbourhood. Aicha* is alive. Everyone stops what they were doing. The women Race to reunite Aicha seated under the tree have suddenly found a more exciting topic to talk about. Aicha’s grandmother stands up from her blue rug in the corridor, where a few onions, leaves for soup and nuts lay. A sense of relief and happiness fills the tiny courtyard where neighbours and relatives stand side by side. Aicha’s picture goes from hand to hand as if they can’t believe it. “It’s her... Yes, it’s her... No doubt it’s her”, a group of women says, while staring at the teenager’s face. The lively grandmother thanks God over and over for bringing her granddaughter back. Amid the brouhaha, a frail woman stands. Her voice has not yet been heard. She has neither a smile nor tears on her face. Her silence says a lot, probably more than the commotion surrounding her. “The mother nearly lost her mind after what happened to her daughter,” a neighbour whispers. “When will Aicha come back?” a relative asks. Safiya pauses, thinking of the recent restrictions of movements that could put the reunification on hold for months. “Within a month,” she tells the family. “When they asked about her return, I had Coronavirus in mind and the challenges we might face in the future to move with the helicopter,” Safiya later explains. “I didn’t want to raise expectations, but I knew that we would try our best to make it happen. As soon as we came back to the office, I launched the process of the reunification.” Thousands of parents like Alia are still searching for their children who have gone missing during the conflict that has raged on for more than 10 years. In the meantime, more COVID-19 cases have been confirmed nationwide, prompting the authorities to go further with the restrictions of movement. In Borno State, where only half of its roughly 700 health facilities still function, authorities and humanitarian organizations are trying to coordinate their response. How long will Safiya and her team be able to travel and reunite people? No one knows. The following week, they finally travel by helicopter to the town where Aicha had found refuge a few months ago. Temperature checks, hand sanitizers, and no handshakes are precautions being taken to avoid the spread of the virus. Once they arrived, Safiya looks at the file. It says that Aicha is 18. She looks 15, or even less, wrapped in a purple-tinted veil. She shows the picture of the family to Aicha. Despite the flow of emotions, she immediately recognizes the members of her family in a picture. Safiya explains to the caregiver how and when the reunion will happen. Aicha, seated with the woman who looked after her for months, listens keenly without interrupting. Her dark eyes wander as if she is still processing what is happening. A few moments later, she speaks with her uncle using a satellite phone provided by the ICRC team, and suddenly everything becomes real. Both sides are now convinced that they will be reunited. It’s just a matter of time. “Let’s try to make it...We don’t know whether we will be able to travel next week...”, several members of the team keep saying, a few days before the reunification. COVID-19 has added uncertainties in an already unpredictable region. A smile spreads across Aicha’s face before she boards the helicopter. She carries her breakfast of mashed potatoes and a few belongings in a black backpack. Throughout the trip, she remains calm and gazes over the arid landscape from the window of the helicopter. On the way to her house by car, she tries to connect the dots after four years. She recognizes the main road, then the police station on the right and the crossroads that leads to her home. A hot wind is blowing through the corridor of the house as Aicha rushes in. A scream is heard. Aicha’s mother has found her voice and her tears. “I won’t cry”, says the grandmother while taking Aicha’s hands. “If I start crying, everyone’s going to cry.” * The names have been changed. Credits: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Policing MAY 6 - 19 2020 TheTrumpet Page9 COVID-19 lockdown - ‘I’ve learnt so much in just three weeks‘ - PC Yanique Bailey When Yanique Bailey first applied to join the Metropolitan Police Service in 2017, she thought she knew most of the challenges she would face. What she didn’t expect was a London with far fewer people on the streets and having to remind herself to stand two metres away from her new colleagues whenever possible. “It’s obviously not what we thought things would look like when we came out of training school,” she said. “At the moment, we don’t really know any different – this is the only London we have policed! But it’s a learning curve for everyone, not just us. “We are really trying our best to make sure the public follow the rules and guidelines and are only leaving the house when necessary, and so far most people I’ve spoken to have been very understanding and co-operative. “In reality, a lot of what we are doing is exactly what we trained for and what we will always do – talking to the public and engaging with them – and I already feel like I’ve learnt so much in just three weeks.” Like Yanique, just over 300 recruits joined their new command units last month and have now spent almost a month out in their communities, supervised by some of the Met’s most experienced officers. Earlier this year, two probationers on Health street duties were on patrol with three experienced constables on Great West Road in Hounslow when a passenger in a taxi came to their attention. The officers signalled for the vehicle to stop and detained the passenger as he attempted to make off on foot. Following a search, he was found to be in possession of a firearm and a quantity of cash and drugs - and was arrested. Commander Helen Millichap, said: “There is no denying that the London our newest officers are now policing looks very different to what they would have expected when they applied for the job, but it is clear that our recruits are playing a more vital role than ever in keeping our PC Yanique Bailey communities safe. “I know they are extremely proud to be doing their bit in maintaining our visibility on the streets, engaging with the public and responding to calls for assistance where necessary.” “We’ve been through more difficult times; we shall overcome this” – midwife at COVID-19 frontline By Arlene Alano profession that has historically always placed “In a patients’ needs first, the degree of sacrifice being demanded of us now is unprecedented,” says midwife Justine Mangwi. With the first cases of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) having been confirmed in South Sudan in early April, he is concerned about protecting mothers and their newborns from being infected both in their communities and in the health facility. Expectant mothers are already expressing a preference to deliver at home instead of at a hospital as they are aware of the risk of contracting COVID- 19 when they leave their homes. This worries him, as home delivery increases the risk of maternal death or injury. “I tell them that switching their birth plan could be dangerous. A home birth environment is just as susceptible to the spread of the coronavirus,” Mr. Mangwi points out. “Pandemic or no pandemic, the hospital has a team and the equipment available to save lives in case of pregnancy or childbirth complications.” The midwife has a reason to be concerned. South Sudan has a maternal mortality ratio of 789 deaths per 100,000 Midwife Justine Mangwi counsels a new mother on caring for her newborn, at Juba Teaching Hospital, South Sudan. (Photo - UNFPA, Bruno Feder) live births – one of the highest in the world. One of the contributing factors to the country’s high maternal death rate is low skilled birth attendance. Only 15 per cent of women deliver with the assistance of a trained birth attendant, such as a midwife. Until early April, South Sudan had remained COVID-19 free. The virus now adds to the many already existing factors that could cause pregnancy and childbirth complications. UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is working with the Ministry of Health to put in place measures to ensure that maternal health and other sexual and reproductive health services are safeguarded to prevent deaths and illnesses, especially among pregnant and breastfeeding women and their newborns. Measures are also being put in place to protect frontline health workers, including midwives. The plan includes recruiting additional midwives to support the anticipated surge in demand for health care. Mr. Mangwi is one of 26 midwives who have been deployed by UNFPA to various hospitals under the Strengthening Midwifery Services Project to provide sexual and reproductive health services, as well as mentor midwifery students at Health Science Institutes. The project, supported by the governments of Canada and Sweden, seeks to fill the huge need for skilled health personnel. At independence from Sudan in 2011, the country had only eight qualified midwives. Since the launch of the midwifery project in 2012, the number of trained midwives has grown to more than 800 today. Mr. Mangwi has been preparing for his critical role in the COVID-19 response. He has completed online training courses and is participating in virtual meetings on the World Health Organization (WHO) protocols on COVID-19 for health workers. At Torit Hospital, where he works, he is part of the Rapid Response Team taking on the role of a risk communicator. Yet, more needs to be done. The government should provide vital equipment, such as ventilators, for the hospitals as well as personal protective equipment for the frontline health workers. Those at the frontline will be more motivated and confident when they have the skills they need and feel that they are supported, he asserts. “This situation calls for everyone to show commitment to help prevent our country from being wiped out by this merciless pandemic. Now, it is the turn of health workers to fight the coronavirus war for our country,” he says. Mr. Mangwi maintains a mindset of resilience as he stands ready to serve at the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. “We have been through difficult times and I believe we shall overcome this. I pray each day for good health and a long life so I can tell some of my stories to my children.”
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The Trumpet Newspaper Issue 518 (May 6 - 19 2020)

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