Beating Coronavirus at African Christian College
COVID-19: By the Numbers
| Location | Active | Recoveries | Deaths | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Campus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eswatini (Ministry of Health) | 649 | 4,439 | 103 | 5,191 |
| Southern Africa (AfricaCDC.org) | 68,610 | 626,406 | 16,941 | 711,957 |
Current Status
The African Christian College campus is on lockout until at least the end of September 2020. All campus residents — students, staff, and families — must remain in campus; no visitors or off-campus staff may enter. Daily temperature checks are mandatory for all residents with some restrictions are relaxed as we are a closed homestead. Continued agricultural operations are authorised by the Ministry of Commerce. Classes are taking place online to comply the Ministry of Education & Training closure of all schools.
Locavore Farmers Market continues to operate. Online pre-ordering is required and payment made via MTN Mobile Money. To protect the safety of our customers and staff, orders are prepared and placed outside the gate for customer pick-up after notification. WhatsApp: +268.7857.0535
COVID-19 Timeline
17 September 2020 — Now the macadamia trees are blooming in the process of making macadamias for the coming year.
Watch Brad explain the flowering process from within our macadamia orchards on Facebook Live. If you’re in the USA, it’s a great time to order macadamia nuts or cooking oil with FREE shipping at UKWAZImakadamia.com.
26 June 2020 — The macadamia harvest on campus is complete and it’s time to send off our macadamias for their final processing.
Watch another Facebook Live video from campus as we load up 30,000 kilograms of macadamias onto the truck. And visit with our farm director, Sydney Mhango.
If you’re in the USA, our macadamia products are available online for order with FREE shipping at UKWAZImakadamia.com.
15 June 2020 — In order to continue delivering on our mission of equipping students for excellent service in God’s kingdom, we’ve set in place an academic response plan that allows for maximum flexibility and safety for our students and staff. We will finish out 2020 courses online and are able to schedule our graduation for 12 December. Download the Academic Response Plan.
The move to online learning requires unexpected investments in distance learning resources like stronger internet on campus, creating online content, and developing partnerships with others (like Zondervan Academic) to help us with quality content. Your gifts will help students progress with their studies, despite the challenges of coronavirus.
31 May 2020 — The leadership of the college announced that it would maintain the campus lockdown until 31 July 2020. This decision is based on looking at our context and examining the best response to maintain safety for our 100+ mostly foreign residents. This is a decision based on being responsible stewards, not driven by fear, and with gratitude for our ability to be safe in such a way at this time. Our position paper explains the rationale behind this decision and outlines the relaxation of on-campus restrictions because of the increased isolation.
28 May 2020 — Facebook Live tours continued today from our Locavore Market gardens. Market Coordinator Rachael Carter takes you into the gardens and talks about what it means to “Buy Local. Eat Fresh. and Be a Locavore.”
A nice visit with first year student Innocent Kayenda from Malawi about his experience in the gardens was a nice bonus. The Locavore Market is OPEN during the lockdowns — but only for pre-orders and pick-up (sorry our shop is closed for customers. Place your order on WhatsApp at 7857-0535, Monday through Saturday.
21 May 2020 — Orchards tour continued again today with ACC President Brad Carter. We’ve been following the process and today visited the drying room and cool room — the last two stages before the nuts depart our orchards to be cracked.
We also visited with Hilda Buzuzi, a third year student from Zimbabwe, who talked about her time at African Christian College.
If you’re in the USA, you can order our macadamia nuts and macadamia oil from UKWAZImakadamia.com. If you can help support our macadamia workers who are laid-off, please give to our COVID-19 Relief Fund.
19 May 2020 — The full lockdown of campus was officially extended until the end of the month of May. Other restrictions and precautions on campus continue.
14 May 2020 — ACC President Brad Carter continues the weekly locked-in tours from our campus in Eswatini.
Today, he toured the Lyle Harms Library and visited our empty classroom building. Along the way, he visited our librarian Misozi Mhango and two second year students (Buhle and Relebohile) about online classes.
At the end, he explains our new COVID19 Relief Fund and how we can beat Coronavirus together.
12 May 2020 — Final post in a series on Self-Care in COVID-19 was released on our website. Written by Celeste Jacobs-Richards, a counselling lecturer at African Christian College, the series provides practical and helpful tools for coping during the pandemic. Read the full series on self-care: Physical Self-Care, Emotional Self-Care, Mental Self-Care, and Spiritual Self-Care.
11 May 2020 — Our Locavore team donates fresh, organic lettuce and spinach for food distribution to Eswatini’s deaf community through Comfort for Africa, a local NGO.
7 May 2020 — ACC President Brad Carter offers part two in the tour of our macadamia orchards on Facebook Live.
This tour shows the dehusking process in action and the sorting table. It also includes a visit with 3rd year student Simiso Ndwandwe, an organisational leadership major from Eswatini.
Our USA brand, UKWAZI Makadamia, is currently offering free shipping for all online orders.
6 May 2020 — The Kingdom of Eswatini extends its partial lockdown (no end date) with a gradual reopening of the economy beginning Friday, 8 May. ACC decides to extend its full lockdown of campus for the next two weeks. Campus modifications or extensions will be announced on 20 May.
5 May 2020 — Partnered with Zondervan Academic to provide several of our online courses this year with electronic resources and textbook for a quality learning experience. This will enable students to continue progress toward graduation and in their transformation to be more like Jesus.
But, going online for the next several months comes with an unexpected cost of at least $10,000 in online academic materials and internet services. That cost is low, thanks to the generosity of Zondervan. Your gift today will help students learn more online in the coming months.
4 May 2020 — Staff on-campus asked to re-prioritise work to assist Tree of Life team and students in completing the harvest and orchard work during lockdown extensions.
30 April 2020 — ACC President Brad Carter provides an introductory tour into our macadamia orchards on Facebook Live and updates about the COVID-19 response on campus.
The tour takes place in the orchard as students are ‘raking’, part of the harvest process and includes an interview with Mlungisi Moyo, a 3rd year student from Zimbabwe.
Our USA brand, UKWAZI Makadamia, is currently offering free shipping for all online orders.
26 April 2020 — Shifted from Virtual Chapels to weekly meetings of our Discipleship Groups. Begun in January, these small groups include a student leader and staff mentor for community and spiritual development. Groups meet in outdoor locations and are no larger than 10 people.
20 April 2020 — Online classes introduced so students can finish courses begun in January but left unfinished. Using Google Classroom, lecturers are able to provide content and participate with students in online discussion and submission of assignments. Moving our courses online was authorised by both of our accrediting agencies: the Eswatini Higher Education Council (ESHEC) and the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA).
19 April 2020 — Join us at the Lord’s Table to share communion virtually as we’re all #SafeAtHome during COVID-19.
Share it with ACC President Brad Carter and students Stallone Phiri (Malawi) and Simiso Ndwandwe (Eswatini).
16 April 2020 — The Kingdom of Eswatini extends its national lockdown until 6 May. Allocating some of its limited financial resources, Eswatini offers small business financial relief to support salaries by foregoing provident fund contributions and grants. African Christian College does not qualify for support due to macadamia-related income.
8 April 2020 — Eswatini Ministry of Commerce, Industry, & Trade grants our permit for agricultural operations during the country-wide lockdown.
1 April 2020 — The on-campus Locavore Farmers Market introduces online ordering and no-contact pick-up services for customers. Customers can order and pay using their mobile phone to still access our fresh, organic produce, tasty baked goods, and homemade ice cream.
30 March 2020 — In order to keep macadamia harvest going, over 30 students and staff member families commit to full-time lockdown work within the orchards.
30 March 2020 — Begin virtual Chapel services using videos from The Bible Project to continue our series on the Good News. Students and staff are able to watch videos on their own and discuss in WhatsApp groups.
27 March 2020 — African Christian College campus goes on full lockdown following the early morning Locavore Fitness Class. Campus is considered our residents’ ‘homestead’ to move around within. No entry/exit. Deliveries made at gate. Designated shopper to get goods once per week. Residents to abide by regulations to maintain proper health including physical distancing, frequent hand washing, bringing own dishes to meals, limited gatherings, and no sporting. Cafeteria staff are moved on campus as well as a couple of staff family members.
Non-residential staff and workers are laid-off because they must remain at home. ACC promises to pay laid-off staff for April and May even though they cannot come to work. Further pay is dependent on funds and will be decided before June. As pandemic-related lockdowns continue, you can help support these workers with your gift to the ACC COVID19 Relief Fund.
26 March 2020 — Local medical professional trains our Volunteer Care Team, a group of students and staff who volunteered to help those who may get sick on campus in the coming weeks.
24 March 2020 — Eswatini announces 20-day partial lockdown to begin on 27 March. It asks everyone to stay at home and bans public gatherings, sporting activities, and worship assemblies.
23 March 2020 — Students have been given opportunity to leave campus and return when schools are reopened. Because most of our students are from other countries, ACC pays travel expenses for those who leave and promise to pay for their return trip. Eight students choose to leave. Five of them remain in Eswatini. Two return to Malawi and one family to Zimbabwe.
19 March 2020 — Our Agricultural Sustainability (Locavore) team begins plans to significantly increase garden production to prepare for shortages in Eswatini.
17 March 2020 — Eswatini declares National Emergency due to the pandemic. Immediately closes all educational institutions until further notice. Already on a midterm break, ACC closes Education Centre and cancels the return to class. Lyle Harms Library remains open with limited services for circulation through short visits.
15 March 2020 — Mandatory, daily temperature monitoring begins for all campus residents. No visitors allowed on campus with fever.
Hand washing stations strategically placed throughout campus at library, cafeteria, gate, and office.
13 March 2020 — Eswatini records it’s first confirmed case of COVID19, a liSwati returning from USA travel. To keep up with official information from His Majesty’s government, follow Eswatini Government on Twitter.
You Can Help!
COVID-19 has upended our plans and disturbed our progress. But, like you, we’re working to adapt and to continue seeking God’s will for each new day.
God provided an important mission of Christian higher education in Africa and many great partners like you. Our commitment remains to equip students for excellent service in God’s kingdom while we also take care of the employees who work toward this vision each day.
Your gift to the ACC COVID-19 Relief Fund will provide quality online courses for students and protect and feed laid-off staff at their homes in Eswatini.
