• Temidayo Ojieyan

  • Lagos City, Nigeria - Halifax

Art by Emily Honderich

Temidayo Ojieyan story

Temidayo Ojieyan is originally from Lagos City, Nigeria and migrated to Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband and two kids on May 8th, 2018.

Planned and the Unplanned

Covid-19 portrays itself to me as a hard teacher that no one likes.  At first, the lockdown seemed to be an opportunity to relax for about two weeks, get refreshed, and go back to normal activities. Little did I know there would be no such word as normal.

How can I deal with the death toll from Covid-19 as normal? The fear of the virus and death grips me every day, so I clean and sanitize regularly.

Now, I am struggling with a new routine. Working from home and teaching the kids at the same time. The kids will cry regularly because they want to see their friends and go to school.  I summoned the courage and explained to the kids why mum is now their new teacher and why all outdoor activities are suspended for now.

Grocery shopping now takes me more time and I feel like I am working around the clock, Mondays to Sundays. I hardly have time to keep up with family and friends at this crucial time.

One thing Covid-19 has taught me is to cherish every moment of my life going forward as there is no such thing as normal.

"One thing Covid-19 has taught me is to cherish every moment of my life going forward as there is no such thing as normal."

- Temidayo Ojieyan