Author: Champe

As students return to Daystar University after the mid-year break, it’s important that we take steps to protect our community from potential health risks. One of the growing concerns globally, and in Africa in particular, is mpox (previously known as monkeypox). Mpox (monkeypox) is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus and can be transmitted through close contact with an infected person, animal, or contaminated materials. While the university has yet to release an official statement, it starts with us—students—taking simple, proactive measures to stop the spread.

What is Mpox and How Does it Spread?

Mpox is a zoonosis, a disease that is transmitted from animals to humans, with cases often found close to tropical rainforests where there are animals that carry the virus. As of 18 August 2024, the WHO African Region has reported 17,947 suspected mpox cases, including 563 suspected deaths and 2,186 laboratory-confirmed cases, with 13 confirmed deaths across 12 countries since January 2024. [World Health Organization (WHO)]

The disease can also spread from humans to humans. It spreads through contact with bodily fluids, skin lesions, respiratory droplets, and contaminated surfaces.

Anyone can get mpox and it spreads through various means;

• Direct contact with an infected person, such as touching, kissing, or engaging in sexual activity.
• Interaction with animals that carry the virus, such as during hunting or preparing wild game.
• Contaminated materials, like bedding, clothing, or needles.
• Pregnant individuals can also pass the virus to their unborn child.

Symptoms to watch out for

Mpox symptoms typically appear within one to two weeks after exposure and can include:

• A painful rash that starts on the face and spreads to other parts of the body.
• Swollen lymph nodes, often accompanied by discomfort.
• Fever, muscle aches, and general fatigue.

If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s important to act immediately to prevent further spread.

Steps We Can Take to Protect Ourselves and Others

• Stay Informed – Educating yourself about mpox is the first step in stopping its spread. Keep an eye out for symptoms and avoid close contact with anyone who may have been exposed.
• Promote Good Hygiene – Washing your hands frequently with soap and water or using hand sanitizer can reduce the risk of infection. Avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Maintain Safe Interactions – Mpox spreads through close physical contact. Whether in social gatherings or classrooms, practice safe distancing when possible. If someone shows signs of illness, be cautious about sharing personal items like towels, bedding, or utensils.
• If You’re Infected, Protect Others – If you suspect you have mpox, inform those you’ve been in close contact with, and stay at home until all lesions have healed and a new layer of skin has formed. It’s essential to cover any visible sores and wear a mask around others to prevent the spread of respiratory droplets.
• Avoid Physical Contact with Animals – Mpox can spread through direct contact with infected animals. If you’ve traveled to areas near tropical rainforests or have come into contact with animals, be mindful and practice caution.

What to Do if You Have Symptoms

If you experience any symptoms, report them immediately to the university health services and avoid close contact with others. Follow guidelines by covering your lesions, wearing a well-fitting mask, and isolating until you’ve fully recovered.

Let’s Be a Part of the Solution. It’s up to us, as Daystar students, to play an active role in preventing a potential mpox outbreak. Simple actions like washing hands, staying informed, and being cautious about close contact can make a big difference. Together, we can ensure that campus remains a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

For more information, stay tuned to Home – Involvement for updates on health protocols and resources as we navigate this period responsibly. Let’s keep each other safe—it starts with us.

By Roselyn Samuel

Imagine waking up one morning to find that your existence is no longer acceptable not to strangers, but to the world itself. Your face, your voice, your very presence, deemed “unacceptable” in public. This is the chilling reality for women in Afghanistan today, where Taliban laws are forcing them into the shadows, literally and figuratively.

Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, they have imposed a series of shocking restrictions on women in Afghanistan, the most visible being the mandate for full-body coverings. These are more than just pieces of cloth, the burqa and niqab symbolize enforced invisibility. Yet, more alarming than these garments is the deeper implication, women are not to be seen, heard, or respected by society.

For those of us who have grown up with the conversation on gender equality at the forefront, this scenario feels like a dystopian nightmare come to life. Imagine being forbidden from expressing yourself, attending school, or even walking in the park without a male guardian. For Afghan women, this is not fiction, it is their daily reality.

But the erasure extends far beyond physical covering, it is an assault on their very identities. Girls who once dreamed of becoming doctors, teachers, and entrepreneurs are now confined to their homes. The ban on attending schools and universities is not just a denial of education, it is a denial of their future. Their ambitions and aspirations are being suffocated under the weight of oppressive laws.

How did we arrive at this point? For nearly two decades, Afghan women fought for and enjoyed freedoms that many of us take for granted, going to school, working, and contributing to society. They were journalists, judges, politicians, beacons of progress in a traditionally patriarchal society. Now, they are being systematically excluded from public life. This is not merely a rollback of rights, it is a deliberate effort to erase half the population from the narrative of their own country.

But Afghan women are not surrendering without a fight. Despite the immense risks, many are taking to the streets to protest these repressive laws, demanding their right to education, work, and freedom. Their courage in the face of such danger is nothing short of remarkable, a testament to their resilience. While the world may seem to look away, Afghan women stand tall, defying a regime that seeks to make them invisible.

So, what can we do? As young people, we have a powerful voice. We may be far removed from the atrocities in Afghanistan, but our support matters. We can raise awareness, put pressure on governments, and amplify the voices of Afghan women fighting for their rights. Social media gives us the platform to ensure their stories are heard and not forgotten.

Let’s be clear, This is not just a cultural issue, it is a political crisis that demands global attention. The denial of basic human rights, the right to be seen, heard, and to exist fully as a person, is a universal injustice. Afghan women are no different from us in their dreams, potential, and worth. The only difference is that their voices are being silenced deliberately and systematically.

As Afghan women are forced out of sight, we must not let them slip out of our minds. Their struggle is our struggle. No woman, anywhere, should ever be made to disappear.

As students, we should strive for a world where every woman is seen, heard, and valued.

By Roselyn Samuel

Gisèle Pélicot was an ordinary Frenchwoman, a wife, and a mother, known in her community for her kindness and unassuming nature. But her name became infamous when it was revealed that she was the victim of one of the most shocking and horrifying cases of abuse ever uncovered. For nearly a decade, her husband, Dominique Pélicot, secretly drugged her with sedatives and allowed dozens of men to rape her while she was unconscious. The story of Gisèle Pélicot is not just a tragic tale of unimaginable betrayal but also a stark reminder of the unseen dangers that can lurk within relationships.

These are the times when trust usually occupies the first place. We trust our friends, we trust our families, and above all, we trust our partners. That is why Gisèle’s story really hits the gut. It is not only a crime, but it is also an unimaginable act of betrayal. Yet, this horrific case makes one reflect on unseen relationship dangers and why it is of utmost importance to discuss abuse openly and candidly.

The details of this case are the stuff of a hair-raising thriller, for close to a decade, Gisèle’s husband, Dominique Pélicot, had been putting tranquilizers in her food so that, unconscious, he could invite men into their home to rape her. If that were not all, Dominique recorded over 20,000 videos of these acts, using his wife as a prop in his depraved game. Worse, it was only when he got caught secretly taking photos of women in a supermarket that investigators chanced upon his secret.

But here’s the kicker, Gisèle had no idea any of that was occurring. She didn’t just lose a husband, she lost security entirely. When she did find this out, she described herself as “dead,” emotionally destroyed by the fact that the person she loved most in this world had turned her life into a living hell. How does one recover from that? It’s tough to even imagine.

Still, this is not just one woman’s tragedy, but about the greater concept hidden behind the scenes, that abuse lives in secret. Dominique Pélicot wasn’t some monster lurking in the shadows but a banal man, husband, and father. His actions simply point out how those that come from a position of trust can hide their darkest impulses right under our noses. It is not only Gisèle’s case that must be brought to the fore, but also those of the many victims who, like her, may not even realize that they are being manipulated, drugged, or abused.

What really makes this case even more chilling is how many people were involved. The men who participated in the assaults were not strangers dragged in off the street, they were firefighters, civil servants, and even a journalist. Several of them visited Gisèle’s home multiple times, in full knowledge that she was unconscious. This is not just some sick obsession of one man, this is a peek at how people are complicit in abuse.

The trial that Is scheduled to go until December is a turning point in Gisèle’s life, but it is also turning our attention to domestic abuse in general. We have to reassess the fact that a husband may not necessarily manifest abuse as some sort of physical violence, but rather garbed with smiles and inside homes, the very place we least expect.

A wake-up call for us who are reading this is that abuse doesn’t always look as we think it should. It can be quietly, invisibly happening to someone we know, and maybe even to ourselves. This case reminds us of the importance of vigilance, not just in protecting ourselves but also in looking out at those around us. Because in Gisèle’s story, as so often in other stories, the most fearsome terrors can sometimes turn out to be lurking in the most familiar places.

And as this trial goes forward, the world watches. It’s not just about delivering justice to Gisèle, it’s about standing in solidarity with every survivor whose voice has been silenced by fear or betrayal. Gisèle’s courage to face her violators is a reminder of the strength inside survivors. And her story should send a message to all of us to ask tough questions about trust, boundaries, and speaking up when something doesn’t feel right.

We owe it, in the end, to people like Gisèle, keeping the conversation alive, not letting their stories be swept into the background. Only under those circumstances can we hope to avoid the next tragedy happening in the dark.