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It's back to varsity in post-Covid Tanzania

Wednesday June 17 2020
students

University students in class. Tanzanian universities and colleges reopened on June 1, 2020. PHOTO | FILE | NMG

By BEATRICE MATERU

Tanzanian universities and colleges reopened on June 1 after they were shut down about two months ago following the outbreak of the Covid-19.

University life in Tanzania is slowly getting back to normal after almost two months away. However, the idea of going back to class after the Covid-19 pandemic was daunting.

I now make sure I have hand sanitiser in my hand bag and a protective face mask on. I was surprised to see a huge turn up of students because I assumed most would be too scared to return but most of them are looking forward to completing their studies.

Every entrance of the institution as well as near the Administration block and lecture halls has a big black water tank with a hands-free tap for both liquid soap and water.

“Aren’t you scared?” I asked some of my fellow students as none of them seemed at all scared.

“About what?” they would ask.

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“Coronavirus!” I would reply.

“Where is it? Besides we are taking precautions, aren’t we?” is the answer I receive countless times.

Classes have already started but learning will not be the same because the virus is still in our midst.

Washing hands and wearing face masks is part of us now, while seating and standing at a distance from one another is the new normal.

In my class for example, we are only five students, but we stand, sit and talk while two metres away from each other. No handshakes, no hugs and our smiles can't be seen under the masks.

Assignments are submitted online to avoid contracting the virus through papers, and due to Covid-19 we now have fifteen weeks of studies instead of eighteen.

Several colleges like Tumaini have thermal scans at the entrance to measure body temperature.

Before the reopening of learning institutions, the health ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Education issued directives on precautionary measures to take to avoid the spread of Covid-19.

The directives include decontamination of school and college compounds, providing relevant knowledge on the disease, availing running water and soap at the entrances, and ensuring students and staff members observe social distancing rules.

“Schools and university administrations should ensure all precautionary measures are being followed by both students and staff members. With all these required measures in place, we recommend schools and college institutions use health experts to provide Covid-19 information and monitor the implementation of this guideline,” said Ummy Mwalimu, Ministry of Health while in the capital city Dodoma.

Joyce Ndalichako, Minister of Education, said that all education institutions that have reopened must follow the directives given by the Health Ministry to ensure students are learning in a safe environment without fear of contracting the virus.

Seeing others at the university learning without fear gives me hope that we can survive this. Let’s take precautions, study hard and stay safe.

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