A view from Spain, one Covid-19 epicentre in Europe
Dear readers,
yesterday we received the news that the nationwide lockdown has been extended until at least May 15th. Many kantharis are actively continuing their support to several groups of people who are facing existential needs such as stranded migrant workers, disabled people, widows/single women, tribals, orphans and/or others. We are coordinating support efforts and we will continue the daily blog posts to keep you informed.
A big THANK YOU to all who have provided support. We request you to share the link of the blog to people in your network who are interested. (Part of) The blog is also available in German, Spanish, French and Marathi. The links to each language can be found at localhost/kanthari
A very heavy thunderstorm has hit the Lake and campus last night and cut the power. We are in the process of restoring the same and hope to be fully online again soon.
Today’s blog is written by a guest writer: Fleur Rakoto. She lives in Madrid, one of the main epicentres of the Corona crisis
With very best regards,
Sabriye Tenberken, Paul Kronenberg and the kanthari team 🙂
A view from Spain, one Covid-19 epicentre in Europe
(By Fleur Rakoto, translator of the blog in French and Spanish and frequent visitor of the kanthari institute)
I am half German, half French and currently live and work in Madrid where I teach. In my spare time I am mainly a dancer and photographer, but I also do translations, as I speak six languages.
Because of the corona-crisis my school has sent me home for 40 days so far. And we do not really know how much longer it will take. As I teach small children between 5 and 7 years old, it was decided that I cannot take part in online distance learning, which makes me temporarily unemployed.
Unemployment means that the state should pay us at least a part of our salary (70 to 80%). The state does not yet know how and when it can pay: The payment can be delayed for several months. I live alone; I must pay rent, repay some debts… and eat if possible.
I am at home, under house arrest (this word corresponds best to the current situation): being locked up in a mini apartment without being able to decide when I can leave my home. Dangerous criminals such as repentant mafia bosses or drug dealers are treated in the same way. But being an asthma patient, I belong to a vulnerable group, so if I do not want to die in a stupid way, I better adapt.
To at least kill time, I help my cousin Sabriye by translating the kanthari blog and newsletters… and with today’s write up, I would like to add a perspective to the Corona Pandemic from a European perspective.
When I translated Chacko Jacob’s blog about Sherin Noordheen I had to think of my friend Carmen. A highly respected psychologist, who is usually in high demand to share her knowledge in conferences around the world. Suddenly, (luckily, she was here in Spain and not on an originally planned trip to Chile) everything stopped. Like all of us, she is ‘locked up’ at home. But unlike me (with “stable employment” and unemployment benefits), Carmen is self-employed… As such, she has and will have no income until she returns to work!
As a psychologist (specialized in grief and the aftermath of death), shouldn’t she be hired by the state to counsel people who are in the frontlines of the pandemic? As Chacko Jacob asks in his article: Is the world ready for the many mental illnesses that are about to occur related to having lost family members either to Covid19 or other causes as well as suicides, post-traumatic stress disorder, exhaustion of first responders, parents who had to deal with their young children 24/7, women who have been facing domestic violence, and job losses… Well… Unfortunately, the answer at this point is no: She has not been contacted by anyone!
Even if facemasks are distributed to pharmacies by the state, they are issued only to those who can present a health insurance card. This means that Carmen will not get any: Self-employed psychologists have no state health insurance and need to get private insurance!
I got some masks… and the Corona crisis also caused me to gain a lot of weight. Yes, because lockdown in Europe can mean gaining weight due to a lack of exercise, while people in other countries must fight to get something to eat at all!
As a dancer I have had quite some injuries: two broken kneecaps, various fractures that are recovering slowly and because I am getting older, some pain. “In normal times” I go to see Emi, an osteopath, every week. Thanks to her, I did not have to undergo several surgeries that the doctors had suggested me. Since the house arrest, I have not been able to see Emi and my health has been affected. But it was only after translating Mark Sabwami’s blog that I realized how important hands and fingers are, for blind people who read and see with their fingers… and for Emi, my osteopath, who ‘reads’ and re-locks the bones of my body with her fingers!
In these times of Corona, as Mark Sabwami says, touching surfaces and objects is risky for the blind. Touching bodies is dangerous for my osteopath (and for all who practice similar professions). And as Sabriye says, this constant hand washing negatively affects her sense of touch!
I really feel for the doctors who are at the frontline fighting for the lives of their patients. Here in Europe people go to their windows or balconies every day at 8 pm and applaud to thank the medical staff. But not all people are grateful for their work… in the Spanish city, Alcázar de San Juan (Ciudad Real), there was a message on the door of a doctor’s residence: “Hello, neighbour. We know about the good work that you are doing in the hospital and it is appreciated, but you must also think of us, your neighbors. Here there are children and elderly people and you endanger…” this is how the text begins, informing him that he should find a different place to stay, other than his own home!
When I informed my sister, she was not at all surprised and said that in France this happens every day! There is also racism against Chinese people. Even intelligent and cultured people, like my best friend, make racist anti-Chinese comments. Unfortunately, once the corona pandemic has passed, it is highly likely that racial discrimination will stay. And worst of all, there is no vaccine against racism! The true nature of human beings is now coming to light: some people help others; while others spy on people, deceive, denounce or insult each other.
Well, luckily there are also unexpected things happening that bring a smile to people’s faces…
In almost all European countries, states have enacted similar laws. One exception that has been granted during the lockdown is that pet owners are allowed to take them for a walk… and… you guessed it, I luckily have a dog! My dog is my only joy and support. Without him I would not survive…
However, just imagine, during the Corona crisis, in France, the country where dogs are legally almost equal to humans, many dogs were simply abandoned… In Spain, on the other hand, to be able to get outside for a bit, many people “borrowed” or even “rented” their neighbour’s or friend’s dog. This means that many dogs have never been walked as often as now!
One dog owner (from Palencia) however was recently arrested by the police: He was walking a stuffed animal dog! See YouTube link http://youtu.be/IqndTGYcmsM
And another man was arrested for running around with his goldfish bowl!
Since yesterday, children up to 14 are allowed out again and I ask myself: will some parents also rent out their children?