Paul Ochen, Grade 11
UWCEA (Arusha)
Despite school closing only three days ago, the pandemic, along with the panicked world, raged on. Social media challenges, Zoom meetings, and new resolutions plagued everyone’s minds - the perfect distractions. Uganda was no different than most countries around the world; churches, schools and bars had been closed, public transport was prohibited, and the president - as if assuming the position of God through this exigent time - delivered a weekly nation address on the developing cases of coronavirus infections.
Suddenly, the world was facing an unprecedented health crisis. Every single person around the world sought a way to express their despondence with the abrupt yet alone discomforting shift in their everyday life. Quarantining opened up an opportunity, whether desired or unwanted, to reunite with family. Skype calls home, late-night work shifts, and missing family were left in the dust. On the other hand, though, these unusually long moments with family-tested everyone’s understanding of a family bond. According to a recent report by the Uganda Ministry of health department of household welfare, domestic violence cases increased by 48% in many districts, and a surge in teenage pregnancies was discovered in another dozen constituencies - these primarily involving male relatives impregnating female adolescent relatives. Outside of the home and family sphere, those who lived alone toiled to fend for themselves. Some moved from place to place amid the lockdown restrictions, whereas others continued with their work duties as they were regarded as ‘essential’. (hats off to all the frontline medical workers; especially those who sadly lost their own lives in trying to treat their patients)
With all this turmoil and confusion, people sought a way to express their emotional and psychological discontent. This plausibly explains all the social media challenges and “until tomorrow” posts that teens used to strengthen one another and show that life still goes on even with masked faces and locked gates. This also readily explains why gym workouts became backyard workouts and why binge-watching one’s favourite series on Netflix became the order of the day. People came up with all these new day-to-day activities to let out all the stress and bother from the devastating pandemic. And also worthy of a mention, scores of men and women taking out to the streets and on social media with “Black lives matter” banners and posts - right after a video of a white policeman deliberately choking the life out of an unarmed black man went viral - was a way through which people attempted to express their discontentedness, exasperation yet alone anger owing to both the ruinous pandemic and the sadistic police brutality especially in the town of Minneapolis in the US.
The need to express one’s emotions is and has always been, a fundamental yearning in every person. For me, I feel reminiscent of nights at my school, UWC East Africa, when I would go out on Friday nights with my friends- after a week’s worth of classes - to dance the night away and share jokes and memories over a glass of Valentino. Adding on to that, my friends and I did this routinely, with the same prime goal each time we went out; to let out all the week’s academic stress over a drink or two, or through showing off our vivaciousness on the dance floor. I cannot stop dreaming of the day I will be reunited with my friends because I desire to express, through sharing stories with them, how much the pandemic lockdown has affected my life. I know that I am not alone in this; we are all feeling this way. United, let us strengthen one another and remain hopeful that this nerve-racking period will pass.
Suddenly, the world was facing an unprecedented health crisis. Every single person around the world sought a way to express their despondence with the abrupt yet alone discomforting shift in their everyday life. Quarantining opened up an opportunity, whether desired or unwanted, to reunite with family. Skype calls home, late-night work shifts, and missing family were left in the dust. On the other hand, though, these unusually long moments with family-tested everyone’s understanding of a family bond. According to a recent report by the Uganda Ministry of health department of household welfare, domestic violence cases increased by 48% in many districts, and a surge in teenage pregnancies was discovered in another dozen constituencies - these primarily involving male relatives impregnating female adolescent relatives. Outside of the home and family sphere, those who lived alone toiled to fend for themselves. Some moved from place to place amid the lockdown restrictions, whereas others continued with their work duties as they were regarded as ‘essential’. (hats off to all the frontline medical workers; especially those who sadly lost their own lives in trying to treat their patients)
With all this turmoil and confusion, people sought a way to express their emotional and psychological discontent. This plausibly explains all the social media challenges and “until tomorrow” posts that teens used to strengthen one another and show that life still goes on even with masked faces and locked gates. This also readily explains why gym workouts became backyard workouts and why binge-watching one’s favourite series on Netflix became the order of the day. People came up with all these new day-to-day activities to let out all the stress and bother from the devastating pandemic. And also worthy of a mention, scores of men and women taking out to the streets and on social media with “Black lives matter” banners and posts - right after a video of a white policeman deliberately choking the life out of an unarmed black man went viral - was a way through which people attempted to express their discontentedness, exasperation yet alone anger owing to both the ruinous pandemic and the sadistic police brutality especially in the town of Minneapolis in the US.
The need to express one’s emotions is and has always been, a fundamental yearning in every person. For me, I feel reminiscent of nights at my school, UWC East Africa, when I would go out on Friday nights with my friends- after a week’s worth of classes - to dance the night away and share jokes and memories over a glass of Valentino. Adding on to that, my friends and I did this routinely, with the same prime goal each time we went out; to let out all the week’s academic stress over a drink or two, or through showing off our vivaciousness on the dance floor. I cannot stop dreaming of the day I will be reunited with my friends because I desire to express, through sharing stories with them, how much the pandemic lockdown has affected my life. I know that I am not alone in this; we are all feeling this way. United, let us strengthen one another and remain hopeful that this nerve-racking period will pass.
www.unitedworldwide.co