Covid

prepared by a professional instructional designer, teachers and lecturers who are pedagogically trained for delivering such programs and the students must be equally exposed to the pedagogy of online learning. The programs mostly affected include sciences, technology and industrial attachment which are the cornerstone to nation development. Although online education can help, these programs require more physical lectures for easy and quality delivery. Dr Kwaira in a Sunday mail article (10 May 2020) concurred saying “It is very difficult for students to begin a new course online, master it well and write an examination. So online education can be used as an accompaniment, to reinforce what has been learnt earlier.” Students are going to take longer than expected to complete their various levels of education thus affecting their future plans and hopes. This overburdens parents in terms of fees.

Masters and doctoral research projects have been hampered. Development oriented researches carried out by young people are mainly funded by European countries and the United States of America where the virus has taken center stage. This has and will affect young Zimbabweans as most of the donor countries are probably going to experience a recessionary cycle. As a result they will prioritize their own university students rather than international research collaborations. Faziz Aziz (2020) of the International Science Council for Africa region reported that “Right now, countries are battling and everyone is thinking about finding solutions to the pandemic. At this point, it’s not looking so good for early career scientists when it comes to funding. Everybody is feeling the pressure.”

Employment

The pandemic has impacted youth employment both formal and informal. Given Zimbabwe’s declining economy and rising inflation rate, the pandemic has further worsened unemployment through the lockdown, which started on 30 March 2020, a few days after the death of a young broadcaster, Zororo Makamba. Most young people are street vendors, and rank marshaling amongst others. The informally employed youths cannot afford to be home and not work.

On the other hand, most companies have scaled down. Young graduates’ chance to find a job is slimmer than before. Students who seek vacation jobs to sustain themselves are also affected. Consequently, young people’s mental health is of concern. Some youths are already suffering from depression due to the Covid-19 circumstances.

The Covid-19 challenged the youth

Personal discovery

The pandemic has overwhelming effects, but it is not a complete disaster. It affords young people a chance to reinvent, reflect, rethink and reimagine a new reality through the Examination of Conscience. It is a process of conscious evolution that helps in creating a positive mindset, manage thought patterns and counter negative energy such as anxiety.

Innovations

Covid-19 has unlocked resilient intellectual capacity and the exercise of innate talents. Joseph Kurebwa, a member of Magis Zimbabwe, through his 3 digital printing company, Third Axis is doing a lot through manufacturing face shields that are needed by frontline health workers and other service providers.

Volunteering

The Zambian Jesuit Covid-19 response initiative has seen young people taking the centre stage in the service of others. In Zimbabwe, a young lawyer and humanitarian, Samantha Murozoki now feeds over

1,600 hungry local youths in Chitungwiza’s Seke Unit A suburb. She has made improvements to ensure that her charity work complies with measures to help stop the spread of Covid-19. Working on relationships Most young people spend a lot of time away from their families and loved ones. The exigences of Covid-19 pandemic have afforded the youth an opportunity to work on family relationships. Pope Francis’ Christus Vivit (263) is applicable in this pandemic, “it is worth your every effort to invest in the family; there you will find the best incentives to mature and the greatest joys to experience and share”.

Lessons from Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit

Being young is a gift that we can squander meaninglessly, or receive with gratitude and live to the full (Youth Paths 134).

1. Service for others

Pope Francis affirms that young people should make the most of their years by showing commitment and sacrificial love to humanity during difficult times. Christ’s Vivit encourages young people to be instruments for salvation to humanity following the examples of martyrs. Generous service in mission builds character. Life on earth reaches full stature when it becomes an offering.

2. Taking Initiative

The young are the now of the Church. The Pope sees the young as trendsetters who want to fly on their two feet, always with one foot forward, ready to set out, to spring ahead, always racing onward. He encourages the young to cast out fears that paralyze them.

3. Spiritual Development

Young people are highly encouraged to seek the Lord and keep his word and remain connected with Jesus for the young cannot grow happy and holy by their own effort and intelligence. Covid-19 must not dampen the spirit of the young. There is a future for humanity post Covid-19. The present is painful but formative.

Hope Among the Youth in spite of Covid-19

Christ conquered death, and so, we continue with faith in hope. In various communities young people, like the Ndlovu Youth Choir of South Africa, perform songs on social media to help uplift depressed spirits while also serving the people who are vulnerable in the spirit of Ubuntu. Other young people have demonstrated servant leadership through service.

Conclusion

Covid-19 has exposed some of Zimbabwe’s gross imperfections. However, in Christus Vivit (139), Pope Francis highlights that “Young people have so much strength; they are able to look ahead with hope. A young person is a promise of life that implies a certain degree of tenacity. He is foolish enough to delude himself, and resilient enough to recover from that delusion”. Young people should not pity themselves. Psalm 19:8 reassures all humanity “... God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish”. Such a faith filled approach to life makes it reasonable and possible to find God in everything indeed.

Vision Statement

Mukai- Vukani (“Arise”) magazine for the Jesuit Province of Zimbabwe-Mozambique serves as a magazine for theological reflection for Jesuits in the said Province and their friends. It seeks to help in finding the direction of life in the light of the Word of God at any given time. In this way the magazine facilitates dialogue among Jesuits and their friends based on study, prayer and discernment.