Life in lockdown in Rwanda
Jean Bizimana, July 2020
When we heard that in China there was an outbreak of COVID-19, I thought it was a disease of rich people because it immediately spread to Europe. Many people thought that it was a disease of the rich. Just three months after the COVID-19 pandemic spread to the rest of the world and Rwanda had its first case. We had thought that the COVID-19 pandemic was not going to reach us in Rwanda.
We were immediately ordered to stay at home. No one was allowed to leave his or her home without a permit from government officials, all business was closed. Everyone was surprised, no one expected it so no one made any savings to get them through lockdown. As a result, it was difficult for people to live. People who were not well-prepared were in extreme poverty, and it was very hard to eat.
This took place when Muslims around the world were in the month of fasting during Ramadan. It was difficult for them because in those days of fasting during the month of Ramadan they were required to help the poor and share food with the hungry. Because the COVID-19 pandemic came suddenly as a surprise and people had been ordered to stay home and no one knew when the epidemic would end. It was very difficult for them and they had nothing.
I did this photo project to show how difficult it was in those times of countrywide lockdown, and to reflect on how it made people behave. Some people became selfish because of the difficult times the whole world was going through. And some still tried to care for others.
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