Coronavirus has made me very fearful and also health-conscious, regular hand washing and sanitizing have become a routine, allowing for the sake of the health and safety of my family.

I severely miss going out shopping with my children on weekends and having takeaway meals, I miss my friends too. Now we have to get a permit to go to a shop to purchase anything and only once a week for not more than two hours and the rest of the time is spent at home and indoors to be safe because this dangerous illness has taken away the free will of everybody in the world.

COVID-19 has made me think about a lot of things in my life and my family. I realized that my husband and I have never spent so much time around each other for this long because he works in Maun which is another town and I stay back in Selebi-Phikwe where I work and the children attend school. During this lockdown, we have learned a lot about each other. Through this mandatory stay indoors, he has become more involved with the children and also meal preparations, dinner time is now with a complete family and no external pressure from work for both of us which is really great. Sometimes we clash and disagree and mood swings make the environment tense but eventually we get along. It really has been a healthy experience so far, and even if I wish the situation could go back to normal and the lockdown is lifted. I do not want this experience with my family to change even after all this is gone.

Because we both work we were able to get enough food supplies for ourselves and we still get part salary payment whilst on lockdown. The children miss their friends and playtime but they are at least happy with having their biggest fan around. For me, it has not all been too sad but actually a very good time spent with my family.