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Judith Djomo
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Yaoundé, Cameroon - Calgary
Art by Emily Honderich
Judith Djomo story
Judith Djomo was born in Africa, Cameroon, and grew up in the city of Yaoundé. She moved to Calgary in 2015. It wasn't easy for her to leave her family. As an immigrant, her experience with COVID-19 wasn't easy at all. She worked as a health care aide and plans to go back to school to get her practical nurse’s diploma.
The Biggest Challenge of My Life.
Many people did not plan to face this horrific COVID-19 pandemic, especially parents with young children who have to manage them at home both as mother and teacher. To find someone to take care of my three children when working has been one of the hardest parts of my challenge. To homeschool them and keep them at home without going anywhere was very stressful for all of us. At the beginning of the lockdown, I found a nanny for my children, but after a month, I couldn’t continue to afford a nanny, and I decided to stay at home and take care of them by myself.
It wasn't easy to manage the stress and anxiety with my family. The pandemic changed our routine and habits because school is an important place of a child's day, and without it, their day is horrible. With online study, my kids could not be with their friends, classmates, and teachers. Even on the last day of school, they were not happy because they couldn't say goodbye properly.
Secondly, it affected my children because they couldn't do their activities or go to the park. They used to go to summer camp and Stampede, but they were all cancelled. They also missed great moments with their new and old friends in summer camps.
Most of all, this COVID-19 pandemic caused me a lot of trouble without my family here to help me. I worried about them back home because of this disease. I am happy because, until now, nothing has happened to them. They are safe and the world is still doing research for the cure.
"At the beginning of the lockdown, I found a nanny for my children, but after a month, I couldn’t continue to afford a nanny, and I decided to stay at home and take care of them by myself."