A series of events/webinars were carried out to address issues that have emerged across platforms as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The intention was to help find coping mechanisms for the situation as well as find solutions to emerging problems.
Problems and Purpose
On 13th March 2020, the history of Kenya shifted as the first COVID-19 case was recorded. 21st June marked 100 days from the day the pandemic hit the country, and the Ministry of Health has recorded 4,738 cases of coronavirus in total since then (as of 9/13/2020).[1] The novel disease was encroaching on life and causing various undesirable changes not only in Africa but around the world.[2][3] It was thus necessary to develop measures to counter the challenges that the disease has presented as well as to develop strategies to survive the new normal created by COVID-19.
Background History and Context
Following The Youth Café COVID-2019 Policy, Lockdown Live was launched, consisting of a series of webinars aimed at "Finding Youth-Led Solutions to COVID-19," — that is, strengthening meaningful engagement with youth, amplifying their voice and actions in supporting the expansion of civic spaces and advancing civic engagement.[4] The series featured a global exchange of experiences, problems, ideas, and youth-led solutions to the COVID crisis, both now and in the immediate future.
Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities
This initiative was achieved in collaboration with creative writing students involved with Sussex Writes at the University of Sussex and SOS Villages Kenya Youth.[4] They were also supported by the Ford Foundation.
Participant Recruitment and Selection
All members of the supporting organizations/Institutions were eligible for participation. However, a baseline survey was used to diversify the participants judging on the selected themes.
Methods and Tools Used
Focus group discussions, expert opinions, social media analysis and surveys were used.
What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation
The initial stage involved producing and sharing digital posters in order to create awareness about the series. The posters were shared on social media platforms, specifically Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. During the planning session, key people in the project came up with questions and concerns they hoped to address during the webinar. After adequate preparation and insight into the goals of the series, the actual webinars took place where candid conversations on various themes were used to generate new knowledge.
For example, speakers encouraged young people to find new habits to dwell on and new goals to pursue in order to promote their mental health. As a technology-savvy generation, youth can take advantage of the various services on the internet to discover new talents and pick up new habits. This time can be necessary for developing new ideas and engaging with other youth. Speakers suggested that when young people find hobbies during this quarantine period, they are likely to stay efficacious.
Participants were then urged to write perspective blogs which are published on the website while some were incorporated into the resulting report. The report is thus a product of participant views, webinar discussion with experts, blogs, baseline and impact surveys, and Optimized Search Engine (OSE) research. The launch of this research during the Youth month (August) was an intentional decision to model and inspire youth participation in issues that matter.
Influence, Outcomes, and Effects
Combating misinformation has helped families in various areas manage their activities without risking their lives. Further, the discussion on the place of Africa in light of the global situation enlightened young people on the issues facing the country and other economies. The conversation also helped youth integrate the lessons learned on the Ebola pandemic and emergency services to COVID-19 responses. The speakers noted that websites such as WHO and respective government ministries were some of the most credible information sources about COVID-19. The lessons that the youth have learned in this COVID-19 period on communication are likely to help in analyzing different scenarios in the future.
Grappling with the impacts of COVID-19, many students have resorted to finding creative ways to stay active even while at home. Actively learning from home while relying on online resources has been a relief for some people and a challenge for others. Many people seemed impacted by the discussions had surrounding learning during a pandemic. One participant noted:
“Discussing global problems, both those I have personally experienced and those which I have not, broadened my understanding of people's experiences in lockdown and the ways education has been affected. This has given me a much wider understanding of what steps need to be taken to make education accessible for all”
The participants of the series were very interested in the topic of mental health. The engagement of youth in this series was much appreciated and it seemed to resonate with them.[4]
Analysis and Lessons Learned
There is an intersection of gender and learning during lockdown since many female students are culturally ascribed house chores. Therefore, one discussed issue for teachers is not only to ensure learning but to advocate for gender sensitivity during this period. Finding the sweet spot between house duties and learning initiatives is made even more challenging by the lack of technology access, which has become the primary method of teacher-student communication.
Considering the freedom of speech and liberty of online discussions, one discussed solution to curbing miscommunication was awareness. When youth are aware of the information shared online, they can use their voice to develop initiatives and spread true information. Taking the lead in precautionary measures and information sharing is a way that people could ensure they are making changes despite the grave problem of false information.[5][6][7]
Discussion around mental health at this time is important, considering that the new normal is both terrifying and unpredictable. Additionally, anxiety may be caused by the many information sources bombarding youth with information on COVID-19, making people acutely aware that they are amidst a pandemic. As much as the information is necessary, it can lead to more negative thoughts than positive ones. Dealing with the resulting stress is arguably necessary to prevent a rabbit hole of negativity in society.
See Also
References
Biwott, M., & Kimwolo, D. A. (2020). A Resource Based View of Curriculum Implementation: Evidence from Primary Schools in Marakwet West, Elgeiyo Marakwet County, Kenya. Journal of Human Resource & Leadership, 4(2), 1 - 13. Available at: https://stratfordjournals.org/journals/index.php/journal-of-human-resource/article/view/498/603
[2] Bradbury-Jones, Caroline and Louise Isham, "The Pandemic Paradox: Consequences of COVID-19 on domestic violence", Journal of Clinical Nursing. July 2020. 29:13-14, 2047-2049
[5] Brennen, J. Scott, et al. “Types, sources, and claims of Covid-19 misinformation.” Reuters Institute 7 (2020). Available at: https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/types-sources-and-claims-covid-19-misinformation
IESALC. (2020). COVID-19 and higher education: Today and tomorrow. 1-54. http://www.iesalc.unesco.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/COVID-19-EN-130520.pdf
[3] ILO. (2020). COVID-19 and the world of work: Impact and policy responses. ILO Monitor-1rst edition. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/briefingnote/wcms_738753.pdf
Loewi, P. (2020, May/June 24). NORMAL IS THE PROBLEM | THE YOUTH CAFE. The youth Cafe. https://www.theyouthcafe.com/perspectives/normal-is-the-problem-the-youth-cafe
Ministry of Health. (2015). KENYA MENTAL HEALTH POLICY 2015 - 2030. http://publications.universalhealth2030.org/uploads/Kenya-Mental-Health-Policy.pdf
[1] Ministry of Health. (n.d.). Kenya Marks 100 Days Since That First Case of Covid 19 Nairobi, Sunday June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020, from https://www.health.go.ke/kenya-marks-100-days-since-that-first-case-of-covid-19nairobi-sunday-june-21-2020/
Odhiambo, Joab & Weke, Patrick & Ngare, Philip. (2020). Modeling Kenyan Economic Impact of Corona Virus in Kenya Using Discrete-Time Markov Chains. 8. 80-85. 10.12691/jfe-8-2-5.
Okello, A. M. (2010). Factors influencing growth of small and medium scale enterprises owned and managed by Youth in Rachuonyo South District, Kenya. Retrieved from http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/4915
[6] Rathinaswamy, J., Duraisamy, B., & Waran, K. (2020). Social media reigned by information or misinformation about COVID-19: A phenomenological study. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3596058
Reimers, F., Shleicher, A., Saaevdra, J., & Tuiomen, S. (2020). Supporting the continuation of teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. OECD. http://www.oecd.org/education/Supporting-the-continuation-of-teaching-and-learning-during-the-COVID-19-pandemic.pdf
The World Bank. (2020, March/April). Guidance Note on Education Systems’ Response to COVID19. http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/450881585235950757/COVID19-Education-Sector-Guidance-Note-March26.pdf
World Economic Forum. (2020). Challenges and Opportunities in the Post-COVID-19 World. Weforum Insight Report. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Challenges_and_Opportunities_Post_COVID_19.pdf
[7] Pennycook, Gordon, et al. “Fighting COVID-19 misinformation on social media: Experimental evidence for a scalable accuracy-nudge intervention.” Psychological science 31.7 (2020): 770-780. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797620939054
Titan Alon, Matthias Doepke, Jane Olmstead-Rumsey, Michèle Tertilt "THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON GENDER EQUALITY". NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH Working Paper 26947
[4] The Youth Cafe. (2020, Sept 5). Finding Youth Led Solutions To COVID-19—Lockdown Live! https://www.theyouthcafe.com/covid19-and-youth/finding-youth-led-solutions-to-covid-19-lockdown-live-report