My name is Ireen Shitta Banda. I live in Lilongwe. I am a U-Reporter and have been receiving useful messages through the U-Report platform since 2018. During this period of COVID-19, I have been encouraging my community to take part in hygiene practices such as washing hands regularly with soap and not touching their faces.
The community market has also placed pails of water at all entrances for hand washing. Soaps run out really quickly and I play my part by buying and replacing these soaps so that people can continue to wash their hands with soap. You too can help your communities in this way.
I am happy that most people in my community are now aware of COVID-19, on how it is transmitted, its symptoms and prevention measures. However, more awareness and civic education need to be in place. In the meantime, we can all play our part by sharing the knowledge we have learned through credible sources such as WHO, UNICEF online sites, and U-Report, with our friends, family and the wider community.
