Faces of BlinkNow: October 2020
Friday, October 09, 2020
“There were so many times we struggled. Some nights, we would sit down on the floor with very little food on our plates. I couldn't even meet the eyes of my children when it happens. I would hold my breath, expecting one of them to say: ‘Mummy, I’m still hungry.’ My mind would race thinking of what excuses I can give. But they never uttered those words. Instead, they would eat quietly and head off to bed. I think they understand how difficult it has been for me to raise all four kids by myself. Knowing I have them keeps me going despite all the hardships.”
- Guardian of a Kopila Valley student
"When I first heard about the coronavirus, I googled it and learned about its symptoms. But at that moment, I didn’t think it would affect everyone in this way.
I study in Kathmandu after graduating from Kopila Valley School. As the possibilities of school closures were making rounds, I remember going to class one morning and discussing with teachers and friends about how to continue classes in the coming days.
The government soon announced a nationwide lockdown, and all the schools closed. I was able to return to my hometown in Surkhet a day before the lockdown. It didn’t occur to me that the lockdown was because of the pandemic until COVID-19 cases started being confirmed in our locality. Those cases increased gradually, and death cases too started appearing on the news.
The worst part was hearing about migrant workers facing many problems on their way back, people having hard times because of not being able to work, people dying because of natural calamities, and lack of health services, among others.
There were also some positives, too. I got to spend significant time with my family, which no other vacation would allow if it hadn’t been for the lockdown. This pandemic also taught me to have patience and be mindful of the present moments, and take things slow."
- K, A Kopila Valley School Graduate
.jpg)
"It's quite apparent that the isolation during the ongoing pandemic at home might be the biggest challenge to people around the world. Like everybody else, I couldn't escape this rough time for long. The first few weeks didn't bother me much. But, later on, I began to feel as if I've got nothing to do, and nobody to hang out with and share my feelings.
Life was gradually getting complicated inside the hostel room. It felt monotonous to eat the same food and see the same people every day, who have now stopped talking much. The same hostel room to rest and spend the day was making me feel very gloomy, desperate for change, and of course, very passive.
At the same time, I decided that I couldn't let my life get shattered. I was determined to break this boredom. Two hours of online class, every five days a week wasn't enough to learn much. So, I started to engage myself in something creative and productive during the remaining time. I doubled or even tripled my time studying, dedicating time to learn something interesting out of the textbooks.
I also set aside some time to practice coding and programming. Within a few weeks, I learned to develop a completely responsive website! It was an incredible achievement for me as it was a big plus point for the final project of my second semester. Finally, it felt like I'm utilizing my time productively, and I also began to love what I've been doing.
I’ve utilized this quarantine period to improve my skills in programming languages like Javascript and C++. You can, too! My message to people around the world at this time is that we should realize that everything happens in life for a reason. Let’s try to seek opportunities in everything that happens, and utilize the time available to us."
- S, A Kopila Valley School Graduate