Covid-19: 'Ghosts' used in Indonesian village to scare people inside during lockdown
- An Indonesian village, Kepuh, has been employing the help of 'ghosts' to force people to obey lockdown rule
- The idea of the ghosts is taken from the village's folklore which believes that they are souls that have not been able to transcend
- With the help of volunteers, several "apparitions" are stationed at strategic places to check any form of gathering
Nothing proves the adage that desperate times call for desperate measures like the action taken by an Indonesian village, Kepuh, on Java Island in dealing with the spread of coronavirus.
The village employed a part of its folklore which said ghostly figures (pocong) stand for the trapped souls of the dead to make people stay at home, BBC News reports.
Kepuh enlisted the help of volunteers to dress as ghosts so that people can be scared of coming out of their houses and discouraged from forming any kind of social gathering.
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It should be noted that there are only 4,500 cases of the virus and 400 people who have died from it as confirmed by John Hopkins University.
Source: UGC
According to the media, the response to the desperate move was initially trivialised as people trooped out to see the performing ghosts.
A resident, however, said that things later improved as people started staying inside more, adding that they would not even come out for prayers.
"Since the pocong appeared, parents and children have not left their homes. And people will not gather or stay on the streets after evening prayers,” the resident said.
The idea was planned by the head of the village’s youth group, Anjar Pancaningtyas, in collaboration with local police.
"We wanted to be different and create a deterrent effect because pocong are spooky and scary," head of the youth group said.
Pancaningtyas said that there is still a long way to go in educating the people on the need to avoid social gatherings as many villagers just want to live their normal life.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that a Nigerian with the name Princess Veronica Adegbite wrote an open letter to the general overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye.
Veronica said that she has noticed that Christians have not been united in the country, saying churches are only concerned about their individual members.
She asked why Adeoboye has not come out to declare a total war against the pandemic, recalling how he organized a road walk months ago to protest the killings of Nigerians.
“…up till now I have not seen any national broadcast mandating or declaring national fasting and prayer for every Christians to participate. Are we saying that COVID-19 is greater than our Almighty God,” she said.
The Nigerian also faulted donations Christian heads have been giving towards providing a palliative against the virus.
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“…I learnt that you and other Christian heads are giving donation and bed. Are we saying we want COVID-19 to increase? For the first time in history, we could not celebrate Easter. Daddy, please we need to do something,” she said.
She also wondered how a single mother like her would survive another economic harshness with the extended lockdown.
Veronica asked the man of God to make a move concerning the situation, asking him to let the world known “our God is alive” like he “he preached on Sunday”.
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Source: Legit.ng
