This archive report was first published on 10 June 2020.
Published on June 10, 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to working parents in Africa.
When the pandemic first hit, many of us thought we could adapt to the new reality. But as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, it became clear that this was no ordinary challenge. The lockdown measures and social distancing rules have made it impossible for many working parents to balance their work and childcare responsibilities.
For those of us who are fortunate enough to have jobs that can be done from home, the struggle is real. We have to juggle work and childcare, trying to find ways to keep our children entertained, educated, and safe while we work. But for many others, the options are limited. They have to choose between adhering to lockdown measures and staying at home, or braving it out on the streets, risking their health and that of their loved ones.
As a parent myself, I can relate to the struggles of working parents. My wife and I have three little angels, all under the age of five, and we have to take turns caring for them while we work. It's not easy, and it's not sustainable. We're not alone in this struggle, and I'm sure many of you are facing similar challenges.
But what about those who don't have the luxury of working from home? What about those who have to send their children to daycare centers or hire caregivers? The pandemic has made it impossible for many of these families to access these services, leaving them with no choice but to stay at home and risk their livelihoods.
As governments around the world begin to consider easing some of the Covid-19 response measures, many families with school-age children are thrown into uncertainty once more. If we send our little people back into the crowd in schools and daycare centers, the risks of contracting the disease and bringing it back home to older people are unmistakable. Or to keep them at home for the time being we the parents will not be able to return to work if we are required by our employers to end work-from-home and resume physical presence.
Will this life of isolation, juggling work and childcare and keeping grandparents away from the children become the new normal? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: the pandemic has exposed the deep-seated inequalities and challenges that many African families face every day.
