At 14 years, Ben says;

‘With changes in our hard-earned organized routines, we have fallen into a state of panic and chaos. We are restless with these crippling thoughts that keep us awake at night, with fear impending loss due to COVID 19. Our mental status is not alright. We are confused as children, not understanding the virus issues enough. We are unable to comprehend the situation it has brought us into. The immediate termination of schools when COVID 19 began spelled disaster for students everywhere. We could not handle the rapid change in our normal routines, everywhere as all too sudden. The transition to online learning was not an easy one for those who managed to efficiently utilize it. Most kids in Lesotho were so new to it that their consistency rate decreased within a matter of weeks and I can even stress the matter that some underprivileged kids whom without the material to practice their right to education online were left to compromise.

This is all tragic on its own, but the crux of the matter is the child psychic. The traumatizing stress we are going through at this time is a matter not to be taken lightly. Depression, anxiety, trauma and mental distress in general. These are the issues faced by children on a daily basis. Current development of COVID 19 has made matters worse, especially for children who are in dire need of special care. Our mental health is already an unattended problem. COVID 19 has created a chronic mental disorder that has made matters worse. The anxiety levels have risen since the pandemic and this has left many children mentally distorted.’

COVID-19 has affected children in all their lives dimensions and it will take all stakeholders to work together to restore children’s lives to functionality.