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The emergence of the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 across the globe has shuttered virtually every activity of mankind and its social interactions.
This disconnection in the human society has presented such multi-faceted threats and opportunities for man. For those in Africa terrain and particularly in Ghana, the pandemic has shock the very foundation of the country’s economic survival. However, timely interventions by the government in assembling such key stakeholders who knowledgeable in the fields of Public Health and particularly Virologists and Epidemiologists to provide measures to stop the virus from causing more harm to human race deserved commendations.
Regardless of the gravity of the impact that the pandemic might have caused to man, societies and nations, there are such equal shut doors that could be tapped by all class of ages and sex for utilization of one’s potential.
There came the news of how the COVID-19 has taken precious lives and rendered some families incomplete. Ghana like the other world outside Wuhan responded to the global nomenclature of lockdown. A measure believed to have an antidote to curb the spread of the virus. Every single organization that relies on human resource or capital for the production of goods and services for man’s survival experienced the buzz in the airwaves. It’s important for people to understand that endemic and pandemic are with human societies or else there wouldn’t be such identities.
Beyond the threats of the pandemic to human survival, one must be able to navigate through the storm and revived the dead syndrome of reliance on others for means of survival. It must be recognized that this COVID-19 period has duly served such opportunities for man to discover their full potentials. What have you been able to discover for yourself and probably done for others in this era where social interactions have been relegated to the background whether from cultural or religious perspectives?
It would interest you to know that the COVID-19 has presented such vast opportunities for human resource advancement. The phenomenon where some people resorted to exposing happenings in their private homes for fun sake arguably created some level of satisfaction for their followers. But, the question that follows from that moment is what did one gain from sharing family stuff to the outside world? Interestedly, some people devoted all the time during the lockdown watching videos on the YouTube. There is no qualm to that though, but what happens thereafter? The ultimate goal there probably was to satisfy some curiosity and occupied the family. Couldn’t the family have jointly undertaken some handicraft courses online?
Human beings are complex by nature. The complexity could originate from the enormous potentials and abilities endowed man by God. Relatively to these blessings are the environment in which one finds him or herself. There is nothing under the sky that man cannot do when conscious efforts are applied to achieving such tasks. In this regard, what have one been able to achieve within the three months since it was only movements have been constrained but not the brain?
The new era comes with data as the most valuable commodity for the possessors. Virtually everything in the new world of the virtual space is done with data. Whether it is data as raw information or access to global unrestricted world, it is the value.
The availability of online portals that provides self-tutorials for acquiring skills and language proficiency are in abundance. The skills of reading and writing, information and communication technology, software development, courier, despatch riding, food vending and selling of clothings were all available for people to tap into. Harvard University ran free online courses during the lockdown period. What did you do with such beautiful opportunities?
Spiritual and faith connection with the Creator as at the end of every difficulty comes with success for those with patience. There come with time the opportunity for people to appreciate such number of verses to be added in learning and memorising the faith-based scriptures like the Qur’an and Bible. How well did you ceased the opportunity to reconnect with your Lord?
How much of your precious time did you allocate to worshipping your Creator sincerely? As a parent, how well did you reconnect with your children having been running the endless race to get money for their well-being but not their emotional stability?
Again, demand of work in this modern era particularly those in the Greater Accra and other major capital cities. You leave home as early as 5:00 or 30 minutes after the hours of five just to avoid the heavy vehicular traffic in town. Did you re-establish the missing mother or father relationship with your children for them to feel that indeed the pandemic was not as bad as one wants to portray it but rather a golden opportunity for a reunion between families?
Entrepreneurial opportunities presented itself such that one has to move beyond his or her domain profession towards adding value to oneself. The severity of the pandemic requires the constant usage of certain ingredients like water, alcohol-based hand sanitizers, face mask or face shields. Which of the above-mentioned items did you capitalize on to cash in some extra income?
Your failure to take advantage and utilize the concept of entrepreneurial skills taught in educational institutions and those ran on the media landscape are enough for one to be described as not being serious with life. It is incumbent on oneself to be energized and then add personal values to one’s personality.
As someone with flair in writing, what have you achieve with you pen and paper? What have been that relationship between you and your phone or the laptops? How many reports have you published in the media outlets? Granted you are in the academia, how may research articles have you conducted towards advancement of knowledge thereby solving endless human problems?
If you identified yourself as a Poet, how many collections of poems are your reader going to appreciate? You grew to witness your parents farming for family survival and accidentally found yourself in the village at home with fertile farmlands smile as you and you returned to the city with images of your beaded face and not hectares of vegetables or fruit farms among others, then something went wrong in your lifestyle. You must not necessarily behold the machetes or the hoes but your brain must be at work with those with requisite skills in the farming.
In conclusion, there is no better opportunities for one to add value or probably acquire further skills than this COVI-19 period. The gradual easing of restrictions across the globe and Ghana not excepted will soon establish a new order of workforce with multi-purposeful careers.
Where do you belong? It is imperative for one to trial as much as possible and then fit into the seemingly new order awaiting the world. If truly one cannot outlined or itemized goals achieved within this unfriendly era then more ought to be done for opportunities come but once. It’s never too late my brothers and sisters, wise up and start moving.
Columnist: Mohammed Rabiu Adam
(mohammedrabiuadam@gmail.com)
Social Studies Teacher
Tiwnikli International Senior High School (TINASCO)
Republic of Turkey Street,
Ghana National Mosque Complex,
Kanda-Accra.
