Tanzania, Arusha, Goodluck, Tanzanian, 35, Tour guide, Married/ Two kids
General
How is the situation in your city/ country? Is there a 2nd wave yet?
Well the situation in my country Tanzania is well at the moment.
How did the atmosphere in your country change within the last months?
In the last months people worried a lot. The government announced that we need to believe that we are ok.
How are you and your family?
For sure we are all doing fine. They opened the schools for the kids last month till no one gets sick. So we are going through the feeling of believe that nothing will happen to them or to us as well.
What was the biggest challenge for you within the last months?
It was not that easy to believe, but with a lot of courage from the government and the prayers in the churches, we came to realize that they work – but only if you believe.
Measures
When did you realize how serious the situation is?
From the middle of February until March the First lady visited the three countries USA, England and Belgium. When she came back to Tanzania, she announced that she’s not filling ok while she already met with a lot of people from her home. This made people worry a lot.
How did your government react to the crisis? Which measures/restrictions were taken first?
First of all was to close the schools in the whole country, to educate people how to use the masks, keep social distance and avoiding the crowded areas.
Are you satisfied with the measures of your government? What was good/bad?
The use of the masks was good and social distances.
What would you like to say to your government?
To keep educating people especially who are living in the interial areas and to let them know how to act when they visit the sites, how to wear the masks, make people to test their health about Corona.
Which sentence of a virologist/politician did you memorize the most?
The virus is for the most healthy economically countries.
The Virus
Do you know anybody who was infected with COVID-19 or even died?
The First Lady stayed for two weeks, before she became ok and was allowed to go home to her family.
Have you already done a Coronavirus test or have you been in quarantine?
Never been in the quarantine or tested. If you are not feeling ok, they test you.
Are you afraid of getting infected with the Coronavirus?
For sure yes – as I never get that means I don’t know how it react.
The lockdown
How long is/was your lockdown and what was allowed/what wasn´t?
There was no lockdown.
Did you spend the lockdown time with somebody and what did you do during this time?
We just stayed at home with the family. The kids where like in the lockdown as they stopped the school.
What did you miss the most during the lockdown? What helped you?
Although there was no lockdown, I really miss the crowds and meeting with friends.
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Changes
How did your work situation change within the last months (shorter hours, working from home, etc.)
Not working at all.
How did your social life (relationship/friendships/dating) change due to the Corona crisis?
From the announcement of keeping the social distance on, it was a big challenge thinking of meeting with people or friends as you don’t know if they are suffering from the virus.
What impact has the Corona crisis on your financial situation?
Very bad for sure as we lost jobs and money, but have to pay the school fees for the kids. The situation is not good.
Social distancing: How does your daily life look like at the moment?
Somehow it has become very different as we used to be staying very close together and shaking hands as part of our culture, but that´s very difficult to do that now.
Perception
Who are to your opinion the heroes of this crisis?
Everyone from home and the government in general who took care of one another.
What did the crisis show you?
Learned a lot, especially that the income not only depends on one place of working.
What will you appreciate more after the crisis?
The cleanness. People became aware of being very careful about not only the virus, but also other sickness and the need to wash your hands properly.
Which images will you never forget?
The number of people died in the world from the virus and how quickly it travelled across the world.
Which stories/incidents/experiences touched/shattered you the most?
The virus was made from the laboratories with no evidence.
Perspective
What are you afraid of right now?
Loosing my job – how can I let my family and the kids live the life that they are used to?
What gives you hope?
I see many countries where people seem like they are not that afraid of the virus and just need to be careful of it. And in some countries people are getting back at least to their work places, airplane are rerooting back starting traveling again – hopefully my job one day will come back.
Are you planning to travel within the next months?
Not planning right now as I don´t have the guests plan yet, but once they appear, I am ready.
If they find a vaccine, would you take it?
For sure if they find it – although I am not sick, but still I will take it.
What can we all learn from this crisis?
Be careful and if it appears again, everyone needs to take the quick action of stopping it before the spread.
If you could give 2020 a headline, what would it be?
Unforgetable time – the year of memory.