Christian and Cynthia from Democratic Republic of Congo, and Flixon, Burundian, discuss the varied impacts of the lockdown. Cynthia talks about the many girls whom she believes begin prostitution in order to ‘get what they want’, the consumption of pornography, and the risk of discontinued education for girls due to the pandemic, and the ways in which teachers used the pandemic as an excuse to begin unwanted sexual harassment. Flixon, himself a teacher, describes the gradual escalation of tensions within and between households as a result of the lockdown. He decries the mental health effects the pandemic has caused the youth and effects on family relationships as well as moral breakdown in the society because of idleness and poverty exacerbated by the pandemic. Christian describes how when his business collapsed, he was able to learn a number of new skills, including scriptwriting and photography. Cynthia equally developed her skills in arts and craft and graphics as well as taking the opportunity of being at home to deepen her relationship with her mother. They offer important advice to the youth, including learning how to save for tough seasons such this. Your browser does not support the audio element.
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