AfricaPress-Tanzania: BISHOP Augustine Ndeliakyama Shao of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Zanzibar has appealed to governments to subsidise prices of farm inputs, and guarantee bank loans for youths to engage in agriculture.
Bishop Shao made the plea during his speech to celebrate Easter Sunday mass, saying such measures would encourage youths to go for farming at this time when finding a job has become harder because of the Covid-19 pandemic facing the world.
“The spread of coronavirus has caused multiple effects on our life, disrupting our movements and sources of income. But with ongoing rains we can still grow crops in ensuring food security in the country. Many economic challenges can be watered down if we have food in our homes,” the Bishop said.
According to him, banks and governments can work together and find ways of empowering people, particularly youths’ focus on farming to produce more food instead of wasting time to look for uncertain jobs.
He urged Christians and other Tanzanians not to be discouraged by COVID-19, saying; “Despite the fact that we are spending much of time at home, individually, we should continue sharing love among us and never forget to help the needy including hungry people.”
Through prayers, the powers of Jesus, and continued adherence to health precaution, he said COVID-19 will definitely be combated, and people will get back to the normal life of happiness and eventually continue working for the country’s development.
The Bishop also said that greediness and egotism among some Tanzanians and leaders should end to pave way for proper poverty reduction policies and strategies. He, thus, stressed on patriotism and appropriate use of natural resources.
Meanwhile, Right Rev Dr Michael Henry Hafidh of Anglican Church-Zanzibar, and Bishop Dickson Kaganga of Tanzania Assemblies of God-Zanzibar passed a similar message of promoting unity and love at this time of COVID-19 pandemic.
“We should remain strong under Jesus, definitely the world will win the virus very soon,” urged Reverend Hafidh.
Due to COVID-19 and rain which started on Friday, Easter mass in several churches across Zanzibar were attended by few people who observed social distancing, and clerics drummed for hygiene mainly hand-washing frequently to reduce the chances of contracting coronavirus.
Zanzibar has so far recorded nine cases of Covid-19.
Zanzibar Health Minister, Hamad Rashid Mohammed recently warned that the country will soon start struggling with local transmission as opposed to the imported cases which was a major feature of the epidemic in the early days.
