The news of this unexpected pandemic caught me while in school. I remember that day like it was yesterday. There was so much commotion in the school compound. The idea was to stay home for a period of two weeks as per what the teachers said but woe unto us, we had to stay home for a period of nine months without seeing our teachers and friends.

This pandemic brought about a negative impact on our lives -unwanted pregnancies among teenagers, loss of lives, and loss of jobs and income. But this pandemic also brought about a positive impact in our lives; we became more appreciative of the importance of family. They say as a family we can conquer anything and to be honest, that worked out well for my family. We were able to gather resources and together we maneuvered the harsh economy in our country.

I am a student and schools officially reopened this year -2021. I was very excited, bearing the fact that we could not get out and have a walk, as usual, was frustrating. I felt like a free bird that was uncaged. The experience I had while at home for nine months taught me a lot. I thank the Lord for keeping me alive and protecting me from any bad influence, the COVID-19 virus, and for enabling me to see another high school year. Though I had to repeat a class, I am happy to be healthy, strong, and energetic. Going through high school for an extra year really breaks my heart, but I’ll keep soldiering on.