COVID-19 otherwise known as the coronavirus has captured the world’s attention. While we are all concerned about how close the virus may be to our hometown, we are also very concerned about how the virus is affecting the rest of the world. We have thousands of fellow Christians around the world who are also dealing with this virus in their own land. If we are concerned for our safety and access to proper screening and medical care, those in very poor countries are even more so due to a greater lack of such things, including Tanzania. I am passing onto you as a subscriber to the Challenge what I am learning about the current situation in Tanzania and especially at the Chimala Mission.
From reading Tanzanian news sources, the number of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus is six. They include three Tanzanians and two foreign nationals; the sixth person’s identify has not yet been revealed. There are another 112 persons who could have made contact with the infected people with some already in self-isolation. It was only one day after the first confirmed case of the virus in Tanzania that the government ordered closure of all schools and banned all forms of public gatherings.
Chimala Mission is also following the government’s directive by closing not only the primary and secondary schools, but also closing the Chimala School of Preaching. Boarding students in the primary and secondary schools as well as the preaching school students have all returned home until further notice. Shadrick Obely, Chimala Mission health secretary says that some restrictions have been put in place limiting the number of people visiting the hospital especially during normal visiting hours; and all people are advised to stay home. As to be expected, there are some who are in denial to the existence of the virus in Tanzania as in a video adapting the popular saying, “hakuna matata” (there are no worries), to saying, “hakuna corona” (there is no corona).
No one knows how long this virus will continue to affect us personally or people around the world. It will undoubtedly affect upcoming visits to Tanzania for those who already had plans. We will try to keep you updated on the situation at the Chimala Mission in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, please keep our brethren at Chimala in your prayers.
God bless!
Howell Ferguson
