Photo Essay

Returning to Life After COVID-19

The lockdown from the perspective of Egyptian and Syrian children

Dalia Younis
The lockdown from the perspective of Egyptian and Syrian children
UNICEF/Egypt 2020/Dalia Younis
14 December 2020

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the family club inside the First Settlement's Primary Healthcare Unit (PHU) closed from March till August 2020. During this time, the team started delivering remote activities to raise awareness and provide psychosocial support through the family club’s WhatsApp groups, phone calls and text messages to support families and children during home isolation. This is one of the 32 family clubs that were established with the generous support of the Embassy of Netherlands in five governorates.

The lockdown from the perspective of Egyptian and Syrian children
UNICEF/Egypt 2020/Dalia Younis
9-year-old Haia was very bored at home. On the first day the family club was reopened, she was among the first who showed up.
The lockdown from the perspective of Egyptian and Syrian children
UNICEF/Egypt 2020/Dalia Younis
Ahmed, 13 years old, has a hearing impairment that affects his speech. He was so happy to get back to the family club as it was easier to communicate with his friends there.
The lockdown from the perspective of Egyptian and Syrian children
UNICEF/Egypt 2020/Dalia Younis
During the lockdown, 13-year-old Jeehan learned cooking from her mother.
The lockdown from the perspective of Egyptian and Syrian children
UNICEF/Egypt 2020/Dalia Younis
As the lockdown ended and many facilities reopened, 12-year-old Habiba's first destination was the swimming pool.
The lockdown from the perspective of Egyptian and Syrian children
UNICEF/Egypt 2020/Dalia Younis
When asked about her main activity during the lockdown, Safa, 9 years old, replied: "Eating."
The lockdown from the perspective of Egyptian and Syrian children
UNICEF/Egypt 2020/Dalia Younis
Leen, 14 years, expressed the pros and cons of home quarantine very eloquently, saying: "I ate too much food, I gained too much weight."
The lockdown from the perspective of Egyptian and Syrian children
UNICEF/Egypt 2020/Dalia Younis
What Mohannad, 11 years, doesn't like about the preventive measures is that "I don't get to see my friends faces behind masks."
The lockdown from the perspective of Egyptian and Syrian children
UNICEF/Egypt 2020/Dalia Younis
When asked about the worst thing about COVID-19, 11-year-old Ghazal replied: "Shutting down the family club."
The lockdown from the perspective of Egyptian and Syrian children
UNICEF/Egypt 2020/Dalia Younis
13-year-old Rodaina is grateful for all the time she had during the lockdown to achieve a lot.
The lockdown from the perspective of Egyptian and Syrian children
UNICEF/Egypt 2020/Dalia Younis
When he went back to the family club, 12-year-old Abd El-Rahman was asked what bothered him the most during the last period. He replied: "Overthinking."

Related topics

COVID-19
Egypt

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