Peter Waddup, CEO - The Leprosy Mission Great Britain

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The Covid-19 lockdown was an unprecedented time. It's easy to forget how strange our daily lives became. Here in the UK we were not used to being confined to our homes, simply because it hadn't happened in our lifetimes. Back in history there were restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the Great Plague of 1665. It happened in 1918 too, to stop hospitals being overwhelmed by the Spanish flu pandemic. But in 2020 it was an entirely new experience for us all, old and young.

My heart goes out to my colleagues in Mozambique who are all too used to having their movements restricted. This week they have been confined to their homes as violent protests swept the country. It followed the victory of Frelimo, Mozambique's ruling party, in the presidential election. The party has governed Mozambique since its independence from Portugal in 1975. Its new president, Daniel Chapo, marks a new era in being the first to be born after independence.

Yet it wasn't the new era many Mozambicans had hoped for. In what was considered to be a shock landslide victory for many, Chapo gained 71% of the vote. His closest challenger, Venancio Mondlane gained 20% in a divisive and violence-marred election. Following the announcement of the results, violent protests erupted across Mozambique. Eleven people were reported to be killed and a heavy police presence remains in many areas. The protests follow allegations of vote rigging. Mondlane now has until December to contest the results.

The irony for our Mozambique team is they recently relocated to Nampula for safety. They took a tough decision to move from Cabo Delgado where The Leprosy Mission has worked for decades. This was because of an escalating violent insurgency that began in 2017. It wasn't a decision taken lightly. My brave colleagues did everything they could to reach the villages where they helped to change the lives of people affected by leprosy. But increasingly, these villages were becoming unreachable as the insurgents took control. They remained in contact with the people they served in these areas whenever possible.

Following a fresh wave of violence on Cabo Delgado's southern districts in February, the team left their base in Pemba for good. Sadly, there is never a shortage of work when it comes to ending leprosy in Mozambique. The team instead turned their attention to areas closer to their new base of Nampula. There they have uncovered new pockets of leprosy and desperate need.

After packing up their homes and having their children start at new schools in Nampula we had hoped for a peaceful fresh start for this resilient team. Yet in a further blow to their freedom, they are confined to their homes this week, complete with electricity and internet blackouts. With violence erupting on the streets outside, it is simply too dangerous to venture out.

It got me thinking about the faith in our democratic process that we take for granted in the UK. Although we may not have voted for our governing party, there are few claims of election rigging. By and large, we all have faith in our democracy and what a blessing this is.

Even on the campaign trail, our parliamentary candidates appear relaxed about their safety. In writing this I am acutely aware of the tragic murders of Labour MP Jo Cox and Conservative MP David Arness. Yet we did not lose these much-loved public figures on the campaign trail or in a dispute over the democratic process. Mercifully any attacks on our parliamentary candidates are little more than publicity stunts. Many will remember Reform UK's Nigel Farage having a milkshake thrown at him in the run-up to this year's general election. This resulted in a court case! It somehow seems so feckless and trivial in comparison to Mozambique. Or even compared to what is happening in the US in the run-up to the presidential elections.

There has been a record number of elections taking place in the world this year. This includes in many of the countries in which we work. It is important to remind ourselves of the disruption and even threat to lives that these can cause. All in the name of democracy, which to us in the UK is unthinkable and something we completely take for granted.

Remote villages like this in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, have been unreachable as insurgents have taken control.
Photo: Ricardo Franco