Sharaneil, a GirlsGotThis 19 year old Hospitality Management student in Tacloban shares her experience during the COVID-19 global pandemic lockdown
How are you finding lockdown?
This lockdown makes me spend a lot of time with my family. I do my everyday routine but also try to learn and experience something new. I also engage in physical activities to stay healthy and avoid getting sick. My sibling and I dance or do Zumba or jog inside the house. I also watch the stay at home video sessions uploaded on Fundlife’s Facebook page.
What is your daily routine?
Upon waking up, I immediately eat my breakfast. After that I help my mother in the household chores and rest after such as watching TV and playing with my sibling.
What do you miss the most about pre lockdown?
What I miss the most are the things I normally do before the pandemic. I usually hang out with my classmates after school or friends during the weekend. But now because of the lockdown, I can't go out with them. My friends and I do not communicate regularly these days, unlike before. We only chat through Facebook messenger, and that’s if I only have mobile data. Also, when I go outside even just to go to the neighboring house, there are already limitations as to movements, so it’s a bit sad for me.
What do you miss most about going to school?
Aside from being given my allowance, I miss learning in school. At first it was okay, I was happy that classes were suspended. But now I miss the assignments given by our teachers, the group work with my classmates and the presentations we did. I miss the challenge, excitement, and fun while learning in school.
What worries you about not going to school?
I’m just worried because since I'm not going to school, I'm not learning anything at the moment. Instead of gaining knowledge, we are losing an opportunity to learn new things in school because of this pandemic.
Have you ever felt down in these times? Could you give an example?
Yes, I also felt like I'm at my lowest point. At first I felt happy that classes were suspended because of the pandemic, but as time went on and as the number of cases in the region increased, I felt sad and fearful for my life and my family’s life since nothing is for certain nowadays. I’ve been asking myself, what if I or any member of our family contracts the virus? What if things or the situation gets worse? What will we do? Where or from whom shall we ask for help? But what I did to cope with the down moments was to discover some things that make me feel better, help me keep a clear mind and stay optimistic. And yes even in difficult times like this, it is very much possible to have a positive mindset. Staying positive means staying healthy.
Are you looking forward to going back to school?
It’s really risky to start classes through face-to-face learning given the situation right now. I prefer to continue my studies through online classes. However, the downside of learning through online classes for me is that during the remaining part of the school year, I had a hard time understanding the lessons. Since we didn’t have a teacher doing an in-depth discussion on the lesson and we were just on our own, I found it hard to complete the tasks given to us by our teachers.
I’m also concerned that my cellphone or gadget won't meet the specifications or standards set for online learning. Apart from that, online learning would mean I have to spend money just to connect to the internet, which poses another burden. But I look forward to physically going back to school once the pandemic ends.
What are your dreams for the future?
My dream is to graduate in college and to have a good job in the near future. I want to work on a cruise ship because I want to help my parents. I want to pay them all the sacrifices that they’ve done for us.
"Don’t lose hope. Always keep praying, and we will do this as one. Keep fighting. This crisis too shall pass by the grace of God."
Charaneil, 2020
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