By Edward Vamboi
Forty-five (45) staff of the National Council for Technical Vocational and other Academic Awards (NCTVA) on Thursday 9th April 2020 received training, with support from the European Union (EU), from the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GIZ, the implementing partner). The training was based on the preventive measures of the global corona virus pandemic or COVID-19 and took place at the NCTVA headquarters on A. J. Momoh Street, Tower Hill in Freetown.
Lectures during the training were based on the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines with practical demonstrations.The lead facilitator, Ms. Maryam Darwich, Managing Director of Afriqia HR Solutions gave a background about the 2019 corona virus which she enlightened is a new virus that can make people sick, that the signs and symptoms include fever, tiredness and cough, that sickness from the corona virus can range from not too serious to very serious and even death underscoring that for most people the sickness is not too serious.
The lead facilitator continued that the corona virus can spread from person to person and advised participants to always crosscheck information about the pandemic with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the World Health Organization (WHO).
On the preventive measures of the corona virus, she highlighted regular hand washing with soap and clean water, use of hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol-based) when there is no water, no touching of eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, that one should cough or sneeze into his/her upper arm or sleeve, avoid close contact with any person who is coughing, sneezing or having a fever, avoid hand shaking by using other non-contact ways of greeting, avoid physical contact, keep a safe distance from others at public gatherings as well as to regularly disinfect surfaces with alcohol-based disinfectant or detergent.
She further appealed to always call 117 when people experience signs and symptoms like fever, tiredness and cough, ensure that they tell health workers if they know someone who has travelled to another country in the last 14 days stressing that getting early treatment will help one’s family, friends and community from getting the sickness and reiterated that getting early treatment can protect and save lives.
Ms. Maryam Darwich also discussed the latest global COVID-19 statistics, warned against prank calls and the new prevention guidelines recently announced by Government to stem the transmission chain.
Highlights of the interactive training were when each participant was asked to explain his/her expectation at the end of the training to which some responded that they would cascade the training to their families and communities, that they are now more aware about COVID-19, that they would strictly abide by the preventive measures.
Distribution of soap and leaflets on the corona virus with sources of reference like the World Health Organization (WHO) to participants climaxed the well-attended training that was divided into three batches of 15 participants each.
GIZ is dedicated to building a future worth building around the world. GIZ has been working in Sierra Leone since 1963 with more than 100 national and international personnel now working in projects implemented together with its Sierra Leone partners funded by the German Government. GIZ is currently based and implementing projects in Freetown, Koinadugu, Kono and Kailahun Districts and through its partners in many other Districts within Sierra Leone.
