It’s been hard time that the whole world has faced but I believe the developing countries like my own Uganda, have suffered a high hand from the effects of the outbreak. This however has come to teach all of us a lesson of our lives…. We still have a reason to smile.
I personally have faced a couple of challenges I could say my dreams and plans were crushed to pieces but I cannot let them crush to ashes, I believe I can fix the pieces back other than collect the ashes. During the hard times of the lockdown, I have taken some time off to think about the positives that have arisen due to the pandemic that hit us and what the future looks like.
These include the following:
There has been a new wave that is shaping the work life of individuals, not everyone has been used to work from home but trust me this has been a test of times. Probably this has presented a picture that the employers no longer need the big office spaces for employees to come and sit and enjoy the air conditioning or you can call it choking on the air-conditioning when you can enjoy some fresh air when you’re working, one of the few privileges we should be proud to have as developing countries. The companies that are looking into making a huge profit in the coming periods needs to cut the running costs and this is one way, let people work from Home. The Employees on the other side may be feeling they can’t handle this, but trust me it saves them a lot too, the transport fares, the very early mornings name it, the only way is to cop up and this is easy.
Technology has played a big part in this dark times. Well we have always heard stories of how technology is the future, trust me I believe the future starts now. There has been a boom in the online shopping, payments don’t forget that this is a backbone that most people have relied on to work from home. It’s high time that businesses embraces the technology i.e. shift your business online if possible, governments cannot be left behind too in the aspect of technology, they need to introduce platforms for e-services like taxation, migration, investments name it.
Innovation and enhanced automation of some processes has been a necessity and will continue to be in the future. Look at the companies like the Chinese car manufacturer BYD that switched production from cars in 7 days to produce masks, Mercedes F1 that was manufacturing the car engines dedicating a factory to the production of Ventilation breathing equipment’s, this is amazing. This is not too hard for businesses to embrace and our governments should also take a leaf, I believe we can build roads that can act as emergency runways for aero planes like air buses, hypothetically. Let’s not forget, even when you hire an employee they need to be innovative for them to thrive.
We have seen times where there has been no business travels by our mighty Government leaders who spend hefty sums of money on so called important travels. Reality has shown that we need to embrace platforms like skype, google hangouts, and all other video conferencing facilities name them where we can engage in meetings and even sign the most important contracts with e-signatures. This will most likely reduce all those private jet travels and spending of the tax payer’s money for governments. The private businesses will get to see a shift in the bottom line of their income statements if they can reduce such travel expenses for meetings, lets embrace the platforms. Have you heard about the CEO myth of travelling to network? I need some advice on that too.
The less treasured sectors are becoming more treasured than ever. Governments are already trying to fill the gaps that they had left in sectors like the health care system. The pandemic has exposed a lot of gaps where health workers have been working without protective gear, medical facilities that are not facilitated etc. The after math is most likely going to push governments to invest more in such sectors, can you believe one of the presidents in Africa has been soliciting a fleet of ambulances for each district in their country, this is the light we starting to see.
During these hard times people have realized a shift in their social lives. Staying at home for a number of days some not allowed to leave the house has made people realise the importance of free time they have had and have not enjoyed appropriately. After this war is finished as one of the president of a great nation calls it, we shall see a lot of people embracing social activities like jogging, travelling, hanging out with friends don’t forget the bonds over the various drinks… it will all be smiles, again people roasting and rhyming, dancing to the spirits of the Nile River.
It has also come to light that we need to embrace the more practical ways of schooling children other than the culture of parents paying school fees and dumping their children in school for almost a third of their life time. With all schools locked down and all the students back home, there has been an increase in home schooling via the internet and also parents having a helping hand in the education and skilling of their children. More so this has created an opportunity for parents to get to spend more time with their children and get to learn about their talents, if you are a parent and u have not yet done this, please its high time you get involved in your kids life.
We can all agree we are going to see an increased saving culture in the future for situations like these. Trust me even people who own million hectares of land but have no liquidity in savings have faced it rough in these times. So despite the good culture of investing in assets, there is a need to the liquid savings that will be of great use in emergencies like these. Am sure most of us have been culprits but well the lesson has been learnt and embraced.
Well staying home may have been a hard call but trust me this has created a lot of positivity’s, like family bonding, treasuring of small things we never imagined to make meaning, discovery of our own skills and developing new ones, enjoying of entertainment online, the house name has been ToriLanez, and Lockdown marriages have been created, kudos. Trust me the good times shall come again. Stay home stay safe is the medicine for now.