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20 Apr

The Time Traveler: Fake news!

ObserverUncategorised,
Hugh Ellis In this Covid-19 crisis, it was only a matter of time before fake news would rear its ugly head. No, a brand-new vaccine is not on the market in France (at bare minimum, another 18 months of research to make sure it is safe and it works, lie ahead). That picture you may have seen, supposedly of French doctors and policemen celebrating the new vaccine, was actually taken in Spain some years ago. Bananas are a nutritious fruit, but there’s no proof that eating them dramatically reduces your risk of contracting Covid-19. There is no evidence Covid-19 was…
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20 Apr

Observatory: Lockdown breeds hopelessness among northerners

ObserverUncategorised,
Clementine Tjameya Amidst the Covid-19 outbreak, families are forced to be together in their homesteads, with nothing to do but stare at each other and grow tired of each other’s company. It is tough. Parents in the north are complaining about what to do with bored, troublesome younger family members. Everything about social distancing goes against our nature as human beings. We are social beings. We need each other and the community at large in order to function well. Community co-dependency is not that noticeable in the cities because everyone is within their high wall fences and watching television or…
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20 Apr

SHOUT OUT: Something to think about in lockdown

ObserverUncategorised
Jackie Wilson Asheeke Allow me to give you something positive to think about during the extended lockdown and COVID restrictions. We need to start calming ourselves down, accepting what has happened, following all rules assiduously, and begin preparing our bank accounts and hearts for the Post-COVID financial earthquake that is on the way. As I contemplate my own fears with my 82 year old, very fit and active mother in Delaware in the USA being cared for by my sister and her husband who are working from home these days, I will not let fear and panic take me for…
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20 Apr

COVID should change how the world views Africa

ObserverUncategorised,
French Doctors Jean-Paul Mira and Camille Locht on live French TV gave their nod to testing re-engineered COVID vaccines in Africa. They claim that the entire continent of 52 different countries and over 1.2 billion souls have no virus protective equipment and no intensive care units. World outrage over these racist comments has been severe. Could COVID be the springboard for people to unite as equal human beings and refute those who see Africans as second class? Google Josef Mengele. Read about his views on human ‘test subjects' to find new drug treatments. Then, view or read the complete comments…
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20 Apr

Don’t limit yourself to being good or bad

ObserverUncategorised
Thandi Kawerama I’ve recently decided to revisit one of my favorite TV shows, Avatar. It’s a 2005 classic which follows the journey of a 12 year old boy who has to learn how to control the element: water, earth, fire and air. While watching the show I felt the elements were akin to the different emotions people experience every day. I was reminded that emotions are neither good nor bad but are all part of the human experience. In the fictional world, people who are able to manipulate the elements are limited to mastering only one, but the Avatar can…
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06 Apr

Couch Kitten: Maybe locking down isn’t so bad

ObserverUncategorised,
Thandizo Kawerama Life as we know it has changed completely. Things that were once normal and part of our everyday routines have been taken away from us. Going to school, commuting to work and grocery shopping amongst other things have suddenly become activities you need to think twice about. The lockdown has changed everyone’s routine and has forced us all to slow down. This means our priorities have changed and things that were once at the top of the list have suddenly shifted or disappeared. Though it might be unfamiliar and even a bit scary, I don’t necessarily think that…
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Old Mutual Namibia commits N$5 million to fight COVID-19
06 Apr

Old Mutual Namibia commits N$5 million to fight COVID-19

ObserverUncategorised, , ,
Staff Writer Old Mutual Namibia has pledged to donate N$5 million towards the nation-wide efforts to help address some of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. “As a caring and responsible business and pursuant to an appeal to the private sector by the President of the Republic of Namibia, H.E. Dr. Hage G. Geingob, Old Mutual Namibia recognises that the COVID-19 pandemic requires a concerted and committed response by all stakeholders, including the private sector,” Old Mutual Group CEO, Kosmas Egumbo said this week. “There is no doubt that Namibia faces an uncertain future as the threat of COVID-19…
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06 Apr

Observatory: Where’s the consistency?

ObserverUncategorised, ,
Thandizo Kawerama When the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Namibia was announced, the government did an amazing job implementing measures to protect the health of Namibians. Social distancing quickly became a recurring theme, and many Namibians started to take preventative measures in case of a full blown outbreak. This was evident by the empty shelves in pharmacies and grocery stores all over the country. In the midst of the growing public concern over COVID-19, President Geingob’s inauguration ceremony last month hosted over 400 guests at the State House, breaking the ‘no more than 50 people in a gathering’ rule…
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06 Apr

SHOUT OUT: Eatin’ good in the ‘hood

ObserverUncategorised
Jackie Wilson Asheeke OK…it's a lockdown and we cannot go out. It is time to go ‘ghetto’ with the food stuff in your pantry, cupboards, freezer and fridge. By that, I mean: make a meal with what is there. Times are gettin’ real… We have already been on recession rations for three years. But, with COVID we have to cut down even further. Waste not, want not. I boiled some colorful pasta I had in a kitchen jar as a cute decoration. I added some frozen broccoli, a beef magi cube, and about four tablespoons of ground meat, sautéed with…
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06 Apr

The Time Traveler: Cabin Fever

ObserverUncategorised, , , ,
Hugh Ellis It’s not easy being at home almost all day. Of course, I’m extremely privileged to have a fairly spacious home and a small garden to isolate myself in during the Coronavirus outbreak. I have access to the Internet on a variety of devices and a whole shelf-full of books. Many Namibians - and South Africans and Americans and Chinese and Italians - are not so lucky. But still, the anxiety of not moving outside an urban plot, not having access to the psychological security of a workplace, fighting an invisible enemy, maintaining contact with extended family in multiple…
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