It has been called a year of the virus. Yes, it is the year of the coronavirus. For the first time, the word novel is not associated with something special or innovative. Unless of course, the virus as a result of human creation or something they ‘innovated’ somewhere in the lab. Otherwise, this new virus that humanity has never seen or experienced should be simply called a new virus.
It is better that way.
The new coronavirus is spreading like bush fire. Thus far, about 4 billion people of the word’s population are under lockdown. It is in very few cities like Singapore, which have continued to operate despite proximity to the earlier identified epicentre, Wuhan, China, which has not re-opened to the public.
Be it as it may, we are all scared. But for the affected cities like us here in Kampala, Uganda, how do you navigate this period of total lockdown? Here are some ideas for you:
- Read a new book
- Train your children
- Enrol on a new course to up your skills
- Work remotely and stay a step ahead of the competition
- Write a book
- Open a new blog
Read a book
Books are said to be the food for the brain. Stop listening too much too negative voices on television, social media, and people who call you as if the world is coming to an end. For each one of us, our destination is clear: death. No one leaves life alive. Your world ends when death, whether from coronavirus or other diseases visit you.
Before death knocks, which is still so many years away, keep your brains awake. You can read e-books or hardcovers. You now have a lot of time on your hands. Read and take notes. Worry never helps anyone.
The naysayers will never stop talking. You have the choice to shut them up and keep their noise out for your peace of mind. You have the power to decide whom to listen to.
For e-books, join my book reading club at www.mentor.mustaphamugisa.com and download free books from the site. It is better to die a knowledgeable man than a foolish one. I would like to think.
Train your children
Do you have children? How old are they?
Now is the time to share your life’s stories with the young ones. Tell them about your life while growing up. The mistakes you made. The opportunities you took. The struggles you endured. And your life’s lessons.
And if you did well in school, conduct homeschooling. Teach the young ones according to the study curriculum. You can load some data and download resources from the Internet as well as put on YouTube videos.
Some sites like Khana Academy come handy. Do embrace them. Lots of great content. Also, on the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) website, you will find the new study curriculum. If your child is in senior one, you have lots of resources to download.
I have found the Rwanda Education Board website with great resources for all ages. They have so many electronic books. Save for history and similar subjects that have been customized to Rwanda’s unique history specifically to cover the genocide narratives, science subjects are the same and I encourage you to download the Students’ books depending on the class of your child. You will find all the resources from Nursery to Secondary School.
To be continued…
Copyright Mustapha B Mugisa, 2020. All rights reserved.
