BY Viva Tataqawa
This is an exerpt, to read the full post in DIVAs Facebook page please visit the original link here.
COVID 19 has spread in our communities, with all its concerns and surprises. I see the government and specialists in the area of public health are doing a good job in defining COVID-19, advising the community on the ‘Do’s and the Don’ts’ and telling us how we can best protect ourselves from this deadly virus, for which there is yet no cure. Even though we are holding infections down, we have to be careful about a second wave. Let us keep going with social distancing, good hand washing, and stopping movement except for essential household needs and frontline work.
What we really need to talk about right now, is what COVID 19 is doing to us as people every day, particularly women and girls. There are interesting parts to this. We are adjusting our daily routines within what the lockdown can accommodate. Some of us are grateful for this lockdown because we can spend more time with family. And how about speaking out more for those that actually need to get out of the house in some way, to maintain their sanity and security from mistreatments they get from within their homes? What about those facing violence of any sort – physical, emotional and socially?
I have been in a relationship now for three years, and a lot of that time being long distance. So how I cope around this is getting up every morning and being on the go with things that distract me from feeling lonely, or being on my own with my babies. In this time of lockdown, I am thankful for remote work, the time and flexibility to move around between paid work and unpaid care work.
What I have also experienced so far during this lockdown is that I’m easily getting emotional over little things. I am almost breaking down when I don’t get things right for the family or small arguments with my partner. A few days ago I spent time dealing with this emotion and asking myself why am I feeling this way. So writing this blog right now after having some assertive conversation with my family members and partner, has made me feel much better.
All this is possible because I took some time for myself in my room and re-strategised my energy. I have been thinking and centering my thoughts back to our feminist realities, ‘My happiness matters and I am enough“.