Africa 54 - October 6, 2020

You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: Zimbabwe suspects that a bacterial disease is behind the deaths of more than 30 elephants but wants to carry out further tests to make sure. We warn you that some of the images are graphic. The United States is conducting a nationwide census that helps determine the amount of federal funding for cities and states. So, when a federal judge extended the census for another four weeks, Somali-American volunteers in the midwest state of Minnesota reached out to members of the diaspora to get them counted. An executive at the Nigerian energy company Rensource, is pushing to get more women engineers on rooftops installing solar panels to provide power to homes and offices in Nigeria. Her goal is to address the difficulties female engineers face in securing jobs while broadening access to energy in the country. Authorities in Senegal are hoping Tuesday’s Muslim celebration of Grand Magal in the holy city of Touba will not become a spreader event for the coronavirus. Tens of thousands of worshippers are gathering for the main event of the Grand Magal pilgrimage, which pays homage to the founder of the mouride brotherhood, Senegal’s most influential religious order. Senegal was among the first African countries to confirm a coronavirus case – and has managed to keep its cases down partly because of strict travel restrictions and most people complying with the mandatory mask requirement. But some crowds of worshippers reportedly have been spotted ignoring social distancing and not wearing masks. Senegal has confirmed more than 15,000 coronavirus infections and at least 312 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Many students around the world have returned to school after the summer break. But this year’s “back-to-school” looks very different for families, schools, and educators, as the world is still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. As schools worldwide struggle to reopen safely, some students are returning to in-person learning, others are taking their classes online or participating in a model that combines virtual education with in-person attendance. Africa 54 Linord Moudou spoke with Dr. Esther Ngumbi, assistant professor at the University of Illinois, about returning to school during the pandemic. President Donald Trump’s coronavirus infection has put the presidential campaign focus back on the pandemic in the United States, which continues to lead the world in the number of infections, now more than 7 point 4 million, and deaths at over two hundred nine thousand, according to Johns Hopkins University. The president returned to the White House on Monday evening after spending the weekend in Walter Reed Hospital. Republican Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic senator Kamala Harris are to meet Wednesday in a debate that for many reasons may make it more interesting – and watchable – than the typical presidential or vice-presidential debate. Kenya recently hosted its first social-distance culture and music event where people enjoyed live bands while sitting inside their vehicles so there is less risk of spreading COVID-19. The Kikwetu festival aims to bring Kenyans together, despite the pandemic, to celebrate the country's cultural diversity. A woman and her female-dominated teams are taking on the gender gap in Nigeria’s male-dominated auto industry, manufacturing thousands of parts for motorbikes and tuk-tuks. #Zimbabwe #UnitedStates #Nigeria #Muslim #GrandMagal #COVID19 #Health #DonaldTrump #MikePence #KamalaHarris #Kenya #KikwetuFestival #Women #Motorbikes #tuktuks