Youth development amidst COVID-19

OPINION

So much going on…so much confusion…it's overwhelming…this feeling of uncertainty is causing me anxiety…thinking out loud and wondering what is becoming of this world and more still what my fate is as a youth….

It's been almost three months since the coronavirus also known as COVID-19, a novel respiratory virus was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. To date, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of over 15,000 people in total from most parts of the world. Infected cases world-wide are at about 349,980 and rising.

The pandemic birthed the need for desperate and drastic measures by countries which include bans to curb the influx and manifestation of the virus.

Some of these include the closure of borders, institutions of learning, workplaces, businesses, leisure spots, shops and generally total lockdown of cities in most countries.

All these developments have taken a huge toll on economies and will likely have lasting effects.

All this has disrupted business as usual and as a youth, it is a very scary time. Most trainings, fellowship programs, workshops and scholarships have been postponed and some even cancelled completely due to the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It's devastating especially when you had your year all planned out and goals aligned. But not all hope is lost. Like they say…" tough times never last, tough people do". Challenges are not a stop sign.

This is the time we ought to prove to ourselves just how far we are willing to go to get what we want and be what we want in this life.

I say we look on the bright side and turn the lemons to lemonade, isolation gives room for revelation, we can actually discover ourselves and reflect deeply on our lives for positive redirection and clarity.  It is important for us as youth to make effort to listen to our inner selves in order to find purpose for our lives.

On this note, I sternly urge the youth to take very seriously the situation at hand and adhere to all the directives and guidelines on health such as proper hygiene and sterilization, social distancing, and others given to us by the Government to see that we all stay safe and healthy during the coronavirus threat

While at it, I recommend we embrace the following;

Read; there are tons of e-books on various topics we can read to inform ourselves on whatever it is we have been curious to know.

Sign up for online courses; there are a number of free and even subsidized price courses on e-learning platforms we can explore to keep enriched and boost our professional capacities.

Learn a new language; leaning a new language online is something we can consider doing as well, knowing an extra language is always a plus.

Master use of online sites; if you are one that may not be good with social media platforms or not familiar with the fact that online platforms can be used for purposes beyond socializing such as advocacy, awareness, learning, business among others, then this is the time to polish that.

Unlock your innovative side; take an interest in handwork like craft making, tailoring, painting, drawing and so many other hidden passion/ talent you may have.

Challenge your mind; Board games such as chess and scrabble are known to refine intellectual capacity and are fun at the same time, extremely worthwhile.

Learn to cook; If you are not quite the good cook, this is the time to sharpen up! lookup recipes online and practice, whip up a decent home-cooked meal. Research shows that cooking is stress relieving, so that wouldn't hurt at all.

Shop online; master the e-commerce dynamic, who knows! it just might tickle your fancy.

The list of how we can continue to thrive and develop ourselves as youth is truly endless, it's about being more open-minded. All we have to do is take it a day at a time knowing that we are responsible for our lives and destiny, taking charge is the only option we have.

Time lost is something we can never get back, making it imprudent to keep our lives at a halt. These challenges posed by COVID-19 shall pass and when that happens, we will be grateful we stood firm and hopeful. Let's go the extra mile, let's keep rising, let's survive!

The Power of Positivity

Beatrice Mujuni

Communications Specialist.