One year and three months ago, the world abruptly changed for kikuube’s youth. As the World Health Organization declared the corona virus a global pandemic, young people lost their jobs, and retail employers shuttered their businesses, and primary, secondary, universities and college students were sent home from campus to finish the school year online. A year now, the second lockdown has left many unemployed, even as some became part of the new essential workforce. Many of the Young people feel the impact of the pandemic and lockdown.
On interviews with the youth in mid western Uganda, Bunyoro, kikuube district, about their experiences of the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown so far.
"This Covid-19 period has handicapped us," says Kusiima in kikuube district. "Youth who are bread winners like myself are no longer able to provide even basic needs like food to our families."
"This has sparked big family misunderstandings and domestic violence."
Unemployment is high in kikuube and most youth who can earn an income do so through small-scale trades such as, hairdressing, haircuts, welding, shops, scrap, car driving and driving *boda-boda* motorcycles to transport goods and people.
All of these were closed at the onset of the second total lockdown in Uganda, when measures were being put in place to stop the spread of Covid-19. Like many other countries, Uganda has banned public gatherings and all public transport, closed schools and restricted movement between districts. It's so far helped keep the outbreak under control just like it was in the first phase of total lockdown, but is having a hard impact on impoverished youth.
kusiima says that more young people are borrowing and getting into debt to buy food and other essentials, as food prices rise as the lockdown goes on. Food supply has decreased as farmers struggle to transport their produce to markets-due to increased fairs, and many markets have closed due to social distancing procedures.
According to Simon, some young people-friends and colleague have become overwhelmed at the stress of the situation and the difficulty to support their families. "They have resorted to brick laying!" he says.
No business is here that can sustain our families rather than making bricks for a living, I, personaly have been buying and selling scrup for my family to have something to eat but now see; what i’m I left with?
Refugees;
LUKU, Refugee from souther sudan, is worried about a rise in teenage pregnancy and child marriage in the refugees camp and host communities.
"Ever since schools were closed, so many girls and boys are idle and in one place," he says. "We feel so confined to one environment. We can no longer participate in social networks like sports galas, community dialogues and religious activities. They are keeping themselves busy by getting involved in behaviour which could lead to unwanted pregnancies and child marriage.Every day I see young girls being around boys almost from morning to evening and sometimes until late in the night here in the camp and the same situation in the rest part of the district.
Peter said, “The state of service delivery in the refugees camp reduced due to the increasing spread of covid19 and total lockdown, where most staff left to be with the families and others ever since the discovery of the virus in the settlement have never returned to the field”.
I cannot talk about the water supply and other necessities as he nodded the head in denial, just know it’s tough in this lockdown.
Our families are looking forward to starving, since most of our us have been getting food from the markets, now stopped!.
"I heard a rumour that in some villages parents are giving their girls to men for marriage so that they can get money for food he added in a smile."
More positively, young people noted that the lockdown period has allowed them to have more time with family members and they have bonded more as a result.
While the lockdown measures are necessary to stop the spread of the outbreak, the impacts are being felt by vulnerable young people across kikuube district. Youth groups in the refugee’s camp and kyangwali community are calling on the Government to ensure that food and other basic items like soap and face masks are provided to young people, to help alleviate the social and economic impact on their lives.
When asked what they think about the the newly appointed prime minister strategy of government using mobile money to send them aid, most of them would smile first nodding their head in acceptance and would conclude with different and diverse comments;
Some and the majority have much trust in the new prime minister Rt.Hon Nabanja Robbinah Akiiki’s strategy and that it will reduce on the corruption that has been attached with the delivery/implementation teams and that everyone will be happy receiving his/her token on mobile;
However, some still believe it may not be effective as in which procedure will one be considered for the support.
However they all agreed on the fact that with the sops, sanitizing/washing their hands frequently and wearing masking up covid19 spread will be stopped
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