GOSPEL MUSO AND PHILANTHROPIST

“I’m a homebody by nature, so staying home hasn’t been much of a struggle. My family and I started social distancing from 16 March. It’s been crazy and fun juggling the roles of mom, teacher, dentist and chef. And then there’s trying to keep the girls entertained, and putting them at ease while also educating them about COVID-19. Fortunately, I’m not one to dwell on my fears and give them power over me. I believe that once fear creeps in, I have to replace those negative thoughts with positive ones – and do that by reading the word of God, praying about the current state of anxiety in the world, and allowing God’s peace to guide and strengthen me. I have mostly been reading scriptures that remind me to ‘fear not’. Family is everything to me and not being able to see my parents, sisters and in-laws has been one of the most painful challenges. I spend time in prayer, and find comfort in the knowledge that God is with them. My way of hugging them during this time is through praying for them.

“I’m an affectionate person by nature, and so is my family; we are such a closeknit bunch. Not being able to see, touch andholdeachotherhasbeenthehardest for us. See, my mind understands why we need to social distance, but my body and heart don’t quite grasp why I can’t embrace loved ones physically. Also, having to explain the dangers of COVID-19 to the young ones — why they aren’t in school, that their friends can’t come over for play dates and that we won’t be having birthday parties — has been heart-wrenching, to say the least. We are dealing with a new normal that we hope to come out of stronger. Workwise, I am feeling the financial pinch as gigs and work were either postponed or cancelled. In the same breath, I’m impressed by what institutions such as WHO, USAID Tuberculosis South Africa Project and the Department of Health are doing to educate and inform communities to overcome the pandemic. If we all abide by the lockdown regulations, then we will definitely win this battle.

I hope that this pandemic has taught us, as a country, to be better prepared for anything on all fronts. As a humanity, I think this sends the message that all that we think matters in life actually doesn’t. For most privileged people, ‘fighting to stay alive’ has never been so literal; we are now fighting together — rich and poor — and not one another. Perhaps therein lies our lesson. For me, everything else in life seems so trivial right now.”

This season is calling all of us to re-examine our morality and value systems. Are we really who we say we are when no one is watching? How do we use what we have to contribute to a healthier world ? One of the things that have stuck out for me is how unequal our society is. Government is not going to single-handedly turn things around. We, the people of South Africa, have the collective power to transform our communities if we so wish. We are a powerful and strong nation that has overcome great adversity in the past. My hope is that we draw from that strength and come out of this more united, leaving no one behind. Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika.”