Liz Banda, Zimbabwe

At the beginning of the second semester of the 2015 school year, the Cannon Falls community welcomed foreign exchange student Elizabeth (a.k.a Lizzie or Liz) Banda. She left her home in Harare, Zimbabwe to have an experience many students long for. Now living in Independence, Kansas, she shared her thoughts with The Lantern staff on the current Covid-19 outbreak and its effect on students and adults alike all around the world. 

During her time spent in the US as an exchange student, Banda stayed with a total of four host families, immersing herself in many different activities and living styles. She spent her free time racing with the track and field team, going weightlifting on occasion, and assisting with the “Packing for the Weekend” program, trying to fit all the fun she could in before returning home in January of 2016.

The COVID-19 Pandemic is taking its toll everywhere. Zimbabwe, her home country, like most around the world, is taking steps to reduce the risk of spreading the respiratory disease that is already ravaging across the globe.  As of March 30th, the country imposed a lock down nationwide for 21 days. This includes closing down most non essential stores and companies. Visits to the few that remain open (grocery stores, fuel vendors, and companies and organizations that distribute clean water and health related products and services), are sparse. Along with these shutdowns, travel is also being limited. All domestic flights are suspended and commercial flights have been cut back in every airport. As of March 29th, there were five confirmed cases in the African country, one of which turned fatal for a well known television journalist. Citizens fear these numbers are being under reported. 

Along with the shut downs, there are many other downsides with this outbreak. For Banda, the worst part of this pandemic is the intense isolation measures that are required to control the spread, stating, “Every day I think about many people who are lonely and grieving during this time and the effects lock downs have on vulnerable communities and fragile economies.” Communities already struggling economically will have a hard time with lock downs for long periods of time. This is especially prominent in communities where citizens make a living off of informal trading, only scraping by to provide for their family. In areas relying on outside clean water sources, who are now unable to receive from them, there is also the looming threat of a Cholera outbreak. She also told of the impact it can have on people with mental health problems. Too much time alone in harmful environments, which many students are facing without the escape of the classroom, can cause suicide rates to rise rapidly as well as cases of domestic violence. 

Not everything has to be looked at negatively though. Along with the hardships it brings, the Covid-19 virus also has positives. Banda noted her opinions on the mass quarantine, emphasizing how it gives people time to sit back, reflect, and try to make the most of this time off. “I often feel overwhelmed by how fast-paced the world is and find it hard to not always be engaged in some form of work. I haven’t found myself bored during the time, but, instead, granted more time to focus on a campaign I am working on, webinars, call and check in on loved ones, sleep more, and think about all aspects of my space, thinking, and resources.”

Along with her answers, Banda sent many well wishes towards high school students, particularly, the class of 2020.  “My advice to you is to use this time to bond with family before you potentially head to college.” She also noted now is a great time to start a passion project and build some new skills. Some of her examples of great things to do include: taking online courses, finding new skills and hobbies to focus on, and receiving mentoring from a college student. All in all, this pandemic is affecting students from all around the globe, but, if we follow Banda’s example, we don’t have to strictly focus on the negatives.