Audio Story by Domatha

English Translation

We had a problem with COVID the whole year. We had sick people and the company was closed for three months. Our kids became sick and we could not go to the hospital because the hospitals were not accepting people. There were a lot of problems, too many problems, like hunger, no food for the kids and no money. It was hard because we lost people in our family and we were not allowed to go for their funeral because of COVID. That is some of the problems that we had in our family. We just don’t know what to do should this ever happen again because it’s such a problem. COVID is a problem to everyone ,kids ,parents ,and lots of other people. COVID became a problem because of language problems. When they call us to ask questions we don’t know what to say or answer. COVID came with a lot of problems, but work is important to us and we could not go when kids were sick. They have to stay in their rooms. Even going to see friends and visiting others is hard because there was no public transportation. We cannot talk about it so much [about COVID] and cover everything because there were too many problems associated with COVID like not being able to go shopping, to go to work, and school and companies still being closed. We could not go to the burials of family members and community members who died. There is no way to be helped, but we know that we can get help with work from the government, but what I would say is that COVID is really bad because when your family member dies you may not be able to see them. COVID really made us feel down. 

Swahili Transcription

Tulikuwa na tatizo la COVID mwaka mzima. Tulikuwa na wagonjwa na kampuni ilifungwa kwa miezi mitatu. Watoto waliugua na hatukuweza kwenda hospitalini kwa sababu hospitali hazikuwa zikipokea watu. Kulikuwa na shida nyingi, shida nyingi, kama njaa, hakuna chakula cha watoto na pesa. Ilikuwa ngumu kwa sababu tulipoteza watu katika familia yetu na hatukuruhusiwa kwenda kwa mazishi yao kwa sababu ya COVID. Hayo ni baadhi ya matatizo ambayo tulikuwa nayo katika familia yetu. Hatujui tufanye nini ikiwa hii itatokea tena kwa sababu ni shida sana. COVID ni tatizo kwa kila mtu, watoto, wazazi, na watu wengine wengi. COVID imekuwa tatizo kwa sababu ya matatizo ya lugha. Wanapotupigia simu kuuliza maswali hatujui la kusema wala kujibu. COVID ilikuja na matatizo mengi, lakini kazi ni muhimu kwetu na hatukuweza kwenda wakati watoto walikuwa wagonjwa. Wanapaswa kukaa katika vyumba vyao. Hata kwenda kuwaona marafiki na kuwatembelea wengine ni ngumu kwa sababu hapakuwa na usafiri wa umma. Hatuwezi kuizungumzia sana na kumaliza kila kitu kwa sababu kulikuwa na matatizo mengi sana yanayohusiana na COVID kama vile hakuna ununuzi, hakuna kwenda kazini au kampuni za shule bado zimefungwa. Wanafamilia pamoja na wanajamii waliofariki hawakuweza kwenda kuzikwa. Hakuna njia ya kusaidiwa, lakini tunajua kwamba tunaweza kupata usaidizi wa kazi kutoka kwa serikali, lakini ninachoweza kusema ni kwamba COVID ni mbaya sana kwa sababu mwanafamilia wako anapokufa huenda usiweze kuwaona. COVID kweli ilitufanya tujihisi chini.Hayo ni baadhi ya matatizo ambayo tulikuwa nayo katika familia yetu. Hatujui tufanye nini ikiwa hii itatokea tena kwa sababu ni shida sana. COVID ni tatizo kwa kila mtu, watoto, wazazi, na watu wengine wengi. COVID imekuwa tatizo kwa

sababu ya matatizo ya lugha. Wanapotupigia simu kuuliza maswali hatujui la kusema wala kujibu. COVID ilikuja na matatizo mengi, lakini kazi ni muhimu kwetu na hatukuweza kwenda wakati watoto walikuwa wagonjwa. Wanapaswa kukaa katika vyumba vyao. Hata kwenda kuwaona marafiki na kuwatembelea wengine ni ngumu kwa sababu hapakuwa na usafiri wa umma. Hatuwezi kuizungumzia sana na kumaliza kila kitu kwa sababu kulikuwa na matatizo mengi sana yanayohusiana na COVID kama vile hakuna ununuzi, hakuna kwenda kazini au kampuni za shule bado zimefungwa. Wanafamilia pamoja na wanajamii waliofariki hawakuweza kwenda kuzikwa. Hakuna njia ya kusaidiwa, lakini tunajua kwamba tunaweza kupata usaidizi wa kazi kutoka kwa serikali, lakini ninachoweza kusema ni kwamba COVID ni mbaya sana kwa sababu mwanafamilia wako anapokufa huenda usiweze kuwaona. COVID kweli ilitufanya tujihisi chini.