Hey everyone! Today, I'm interviewing Salem, a TCK currently living in Kenya. Everyone's experiences with this virus will be different, but we are trying to give you a peek into other people's lives and what they're going through. I'd like to thank Nayeli from 2nd Gen. TCK for coming up with the questions for the interview, which she used on her blog when she interviewed me. If you haven't checked out 2nd Gen. TCK, go check it out now by clicking on the link. Nayeli blogs about all sorts of things like self care ideas, dealing with loneliness, and her summer bucket list. Now, let's read about Salem tell us about what is happening in her life regarding COVID-19.
1. Describe the situation in your country right now regarding the coronavirus.
A lot of people aren’t taking this whole pandemic very seriously. But you can’t blame them, in this country the majority of the population doesn't make a lot of money. They need to work every day to receive the money they need for food that day. This makes quarantine difficult. The president knows this and is keeping total lockdown as a last resort. There are somewhere around 700 people who have (or had) COVID-19 in Kenya. There are probably many more people who have coronavirus because only a few people have been tested. Kenya has gone under strict curfew, some people who have broken curfew, have been badly beaten or killed, by the police enforcing curfew.
2. How are you feeling about it?
I’m thankful that we haven’t gone on lockdown, only self-quarantine. Honestly everything feels unsure. Hopefully we won’t get stuck in Kenya if it goes under government lockdown. As for now, me and my family are staying in Kenya and not returning to the US, our home country.
3. How has Covid 19 affected your life?
Like most of the world, I'm stuck at home. We were going to go visit grandparents this summer in South Africa, but the flights were canceled. All of the travel and meetings canceled this year are going to be rescheduled to 2021. It's still a little disappointing that we’re not able to go to South Africa. Also, I’m an extrovert and not being able to see people (besides the other 8 people in my family) has been difficult. But overall things are almost normal.
4. What are some precautions you've been taking?
I’m staying at home. If we need to go anywhere, like groceries shopping, only one person in my family will go. Currently, in Kenya, it is illegal to go outside without a face mask. The Kenyan government also decided that you can only use half the seats in your car. This makes it almost impossible for us to leave anyway, because there are 9 of us and we have a 10-seater van.
5. What is daily life like right now? How have you been spending time?
I’m still doing school since I homeschool. During free time/weekends I’ve been doing a lot of baking and cooking. Also, I’ve been doing a ton of art, my neglected sketchbook is filling up fast! Every day when we get tired of being cooped up in the house, we go on a walk or jump on our trampoline. My family has neglected science all year so now we’re catching up. We’ve done some really fun activities like we filled up a ton of water balloons and had a water balloon fight on the trampoline. My brother mad a smoke bomb (as a science experiment) and we set it off in our yard! I still get pretty bored on weekends when I’m not doing school.
6. Do you have any routine changes?
All of the weekend activities have been canceled, as well as church, which leaves our weekends free. We’ve been doing family church in the mornings instead. My dad has been reading Harry Potter aloud every mourning before he starts work.
7. Have you learned any new skills in your extra time?
Yes! I’ve been teaching myself digital art, it’s been really fun. I’ve learned how to efficiently fill up water balloons, a skill needed to survive quarantine. I also learned how to make sugar free gluten free cheesecake with homemade cream cheese.
8. What is the first thing you'll do when social distancing is over?
I want ice-cream across the street and invite a friend over.