Africa-Press – Malawi. Maranatha Girls Academy has come in the open to express “great concern” that there are some anonymous people who “are trying to damage the image of the school” — alleging that some of its students are opening bowels and vomiting in reference to the cholera outbreak.
In a statement by headteacher, Aaron Banda thus offers K500,00 to trace Sheilla Favoured Banda who has been identified as revealing that on Thursday, January 25, she posted on Facebook alleging that about 10 of its students were opening bowels and vomiting.
“The Facebook post also appealed to parents to go and visit their wards at Maranatha Girls Academy in Machinjiri,” says the statement. “Since schools opened on 17th January, 2023, the Academy has not registered any case of bowel opening or vomiting.
“The public is, therefore, advised to disregard the false information circulating in various social media platforms. You may wish to take note that the school instituted a Task Force of Cholera Outbreak to strictly monitor and implement all cholera preventive measures at the school.”
The headteacher further says “the anonymous people who are spreading false information about the school have reasons best known to themselves” and appeals to the general public “to help in tracking down the person behind publication of the information” — and thus offers reward of half a million Kwacha to “anyone who will help in tracking down such individual”.
Contacts are through mobile phone numbers: 0999621746/ 0881659554 or email: [email protected] When schools in Blantyre and Lilongwe were suspended for two weeks from reopening on January 2 due to escalating increase of cholera, Maranatha Academy temporarily moved their two campuses out of Blantyre.
This was to afford the young minds to catch up with the rest of the country — especially for those to sit in Malawi National Examination Board (MANEB) of Junior Certificate (JC) and Malawi Schools Certificate of Examination (MSCE).
Both Maranatha Academy boys and girls campuses were temporarily moved and settled in Balaka and Zalewa in Neno where classes for Form 4 and 2 students were expected to start on January 9.
Management of the Academy contended that they arrived at the decision as one way of making sure that Form 2 and 4 students are not left behind in terms of syllabus, arguing that their friends in other schools were to be in classes while they are on the two-week extended holiday.
Maranatha indicated that the two-week extended holiday was just too much time to waste especially to someone who is expected to sit for exams in few months coming.
Maranatha had the backing of the Presidential Taskforce on Coronavirus & Cholera guidelines, stressing that after the stipulated two weeks, the Form 2 and 4 students would move back to theirs usual campuses in Blantyre.
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