The Covid 19 Pandemic: Anxiety and Hope

    The Covid 19 Pandemic is a global calamity that harms the socio-economic, mental, and emotional well-being of people around the world. It is an understatement, to say the least, that this pandemic has impacted people negatively in all countries of the world especially the countries that were badly hit by it. Unemployment, loss of businesses, mental breakdown, anxiety, sense of hopelessness pervade our world in recent times. In the United States that I reside, many people lost their jobs and businesses, and many lives were lost due to the disease. 

 I experienced a great trauma because I work with people with HIV/AIDS whose immune system had already been compromised and as a frontline worker, I was afraid not to contract the disease through them and this gives me worries whenever I prepare for my day's job. Also, some of our co-workers were equally dying of the disease, It was scary around March and April of 2020. I was so scared about this news that I had to result to spirituality to put me through. I will never forget one day that I went to work and it was rumored and alleged that five of my co-workers had the virus, that day I had a serious nervous breakdown that I had to closed from work early to go to the hospital to get tested. Fortunately, I was not positive, but my doctor warned me that I should be careful and not get myself sick or been too anxious. I went home still feeling anxious and did not listen to the news at all, because the death tolls from the disease were rising then. 

 The support system that I had at home and my spirituality helped to sustain me in that period and even till now. Also, my job adheres strictly to the Center for Disease Control guidelines and reduced the number of workers in the workplace to the barest minimum, social distancing is observed and most of us work remotely from home, even till this present moment. 

However, it not all bad stories, I was able to do a lot of things that I couldn't do before and also don't have the time to learn. For instance, I was able to research well for my NGO, The Association of African Professional Women in Diaspora, and perfect all the paper works for registration and other government requirements for effective functioning. I and my team organized and raised money of our own to give Palliatives to indigent people in Nigeria and Cameroun in West Africa. We also raised some funds collectively to support widows whose businesses were lost during the pandemic. My team and I proposed to set up a vocational school in Nigeria for women/girls to learn handcrafts such as making clothes, shoes, and bags. They will also acquire skills in Hairdressing, and interior decorations. We are also planning to work with another NGO that wants to rehabilitate women that are discharged from prison so that they can learn computer skills and other handcrafts they so desire. We are looking for assistance to make this dream come through. We have the site for the vocation already and we are seeking donations such as computers, sewing machines, hairdressing items such as driers, washers, and numerous items for the setup and commencement of the program. We are praying to make a positive impact on the lives of these women in this Pandemic and beyond.

Conclusively, I pray for the world to get rid of this Pandemic so that normalcy can be restored to the globe. I encourage everybody to take the vaccine when it is available and follow your country's CDC guidelines. I took mine about 2 months ago for adequate protection against the deadly virus. I want to encourage us all to summon the courage and be of help to one another in this period, let us check on our families, friends, and neighbors to provide the support needed at this time. Let us come with innovative ideas in our various fields of specialization that will better the lots of other women. I pray and hope that the world will overcome this dreaded virus and normalcy will be restored. 

 N.B the website of my association is apwdcentre.com, Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @Apwdcenter.

I enclosed the pictures of our recent program where we empower the widows in an area in Lagos Nigeria